


Finding The Way Home

by HoorayImUseful



Category: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII Series
Genre: Canon Divergence AU, Dealing with PTSD, F/F, FFXIII, FangRai, flight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-01-16 10:56:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 70,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12341274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoorayImUseful/pseuds/HoorayImUseful
Summary: Three years since Cocoon’s Fall and the end of the War of Revelations, the people of the once enclosed shell in the sky have been slowly adjusting to life on Gran Pulse. For the most part, Lightning has been happy but as she looks at the pillar every day the hole in her heart grows deeper. When her prayers are answered and her two friends are given back from their crystal sleep, will they all be able to adjust to a life with no conflict?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ain't no stopping this traaaaaain! If you've seen any of my last lot of posts on tumblr, you'll have seen just how maddening this project is. This story (likely) won't be as huge as the behemoth that was In Too Deep, as it was originally made up of a few one-shots before I started to piece it together to form its current manifestation. Ignores events of FFXIII-2 and FFXIII:LR, Fang and Vanille wake from crystal post FFXIII. Onwards with a new story! Cover here: https://pre00.deviantart.net/9120/th/pre/f/2017/285/a/6/home_by_aethervisualmechanic-dbqbua5.jpg

“Lightning!  You have to come quick! The pillar..” Hope didn’t have a chance to finish his sentence before the now Major Farron had hung up on him and fled the office, narrowly avoiding bowling over General Amodar in the process.

“Farron! I was just coming to tell yo-”

“Already on it sir!” She called over her shoulder as she leapt onto a hoverbike and sped off without hesitation. Lightning hurtled herself across the plains at great speed, barely keeping stock of her surroundings and focused only on the looming crystal in the distance. Her breath hung in her lungs, caught somewhere between determination and panic.

After Serah left to live with Snow once they’d gotten married, Lightning’s house was empty and silent. It wasn’t something she was able to handle, so threw herself into working hard to build New Bodhum. Sazh went back to piloting with his son to ferry people back and forth from Cocoon to Pulse so they saw each other rarely. Hope decided to join the Guardian Corps after The Fall and while he was close by, until he had finished training he wasn’t around as much either. So without the others around her, she instead she focused on what she could control; her work.

They had been working for two and a half years to get Fang and Vanille out of the pillar without compromising its integrity. Two and a half years of solid work and sleepless nights. Constantly obsessing over her two lost friends to the detriment of her own personal life. The two Pulsians trapped within sometimes felt like they were all she had left. She’d be damned if she lost them now.

Lightning arrived at the pillar in record time to find a pulsing light coming from the top where it held up Cocoon. She wasted no time and accelerated hard, zooming up the spire and landing on a ledge near the entrance they had painstakingly carved out to get to their friends. The crystal shimmered in the morning sunlight, glinting off the sharp jagged edges and smooth surfaces to create patterns along the glass-like tunnel she moved through.

She raced inside to find the small cave bathed in white light, coming from the crystal statues before her. The sight caught her breath in her throat as she scanned her surroundings hastily and searched for signs of danger. Lightning approached her two friends, who were hand in hand, carved out of the walls. She reached out a tentative hand and touched the smooth crystal that was Fang’s face. It felt warm to the touch and the pinkette suppressed a shiver at the feeling, mouthing her friend’s name with a worried brow.

“Lightning?”

She spun around to find Hope at the entrance, eyeing the cavern with suspicion. The light hadn’t dimmed; if anything had gotten brighter from their presence.

“I’m not sure what’s going on...  I don’t think the pillar is compromised, at least not yet.”

Her last words were punctuated by the sound of a shrill loud cracking coming from the statues. Hope and Lightning turned to find the crystal surrounding the Pulsians creaking and groaning. Lines began appearing along the glass-like faces and light poured from them.

“Lightning!” Hope yelled and pointed at the tanned skin that was appearing from beneath the crystal that was breaking off from their bodies. They both ran forward as the statues exploded around them, with Hope catching Vanille as she fell and Lightning following suit with Fang.

Unprepared for the shock of seeing her friend or suddenly bearing her muscular frame, Lightning fell back and landed hard on the crystal. It cut into the skin on her arms and legs as the tall Pulsian crashed into her. She ignored the pain and checked Fang’s vitals, silently praying that this wasn’t a dream. She exhaled when she felt the brunette breathing shakily against her. A tanned arm weakly reached up and clutched at the lapels on her soldier’s coat.

“Light...?”

While rasped and strained, that drawling accent was music to Lightning’s ears. “Did... We…” The pinkette smiled and brushed the dark hair out of the jade eyes looking up at her.

“It’s ok Fang. You did it. We won.”

* * *

 

The doors to the local New Bodhum Emergency slammed open as Snow, Sarah and Sazh raced inside. Hope was in the lobby waiting for their arrival. “Is it true? They’re back?” Snow asked hurriedly, looking around for a doctor.

The silver-haired boy smiled broadly and even welcomed the giant bear hug he knew he was going to inevitably receive. He was too excited to care about being crushed by the behemoth that was Snow. “We don’t know what happened, or what triggered it. Just after sunrise this morning there was a reading on the monitors that checked for seismic activity around the pillar. It was barely perceptible by the detectors, but enough to draw our attention. Then it started glowing. Lightning and I headed up to the pillar just in time to catch them as they woke.”

The ward was in full work mode, with staff rushing around them, making preparations just in case there would be any repercussions from the two Pulsians waking up. Thus far there wasn’t any news that the pillar had been compromised, but they were being cautious regardless.

“Hope, where is my sister?” Serah asked as she placed a gentle hand on his arm.

He smiled and ducked his head, holding up his hand to try to calm a bouncing, eager Snow. “They’re fine, everyone is fine. Lightning got a little cut up on the crystal when she caught Fang so they’re just stitching her up. The other two are just being checked out to make sure they’re ok, and that nothing has impacted on them from being in stasis for the second time. But I assure you, they’re fine.”

No sooner had he said that a crashing sound came from behind them where the beds were, a metal tray flying across the room. It hit the wall with a loud clatter and the group flinched at the noise.

“Ha! You missed! You get rusty while I was taking a glass nap, Sunshine?”

“God  _dammit_!”

“Faaaaang!”

Blank stares met Hope as he turned back to the group with a fed up look on his face. “Like I said. Fine.”

Sarah raced to the curtains and found her sister fuming in the bed across from the grinning Pulsian. “Claire Farron!” The elder Farron’s head snapped up in her direction, startled at both the chastising and being caught in an act of immaturity.

“She started it!” Lightning retorted with an uncharacteristic pout as a nurse reluctantly resumed stitching up her arm. She hissed as the needle entered her skin and lamented the fact they weren’t L‘Cie anymore. She could have just healed herself by now and would already be across the room throttling Fang.

The brunette in question was giving Lightning a cheeky smirk while a doctor fussed over her vitals, checking her blood pressure and taking a blood sample. He asked her to not move about, his voice tired and sounding like that wasn’t the first time he’d asked her to sit still since she was admitted.

“What? All I said was that she should have known I’d always fall for her when I landed on her.”

The nurse beside Lightning pre-empted her anger this time around, rolling the trolley away from the pinkette’s reach with a stern gaze. “Ma’am, please. Let me at least finish my job and once you’re both discharged you can go to town on each other. It’s my day off tomorrow so it’s not like I’m going to have to deal with patching you up again...”

Serah looked exasperated and instead went to Vanille’s bedside with a sigh. The redhead beamed as she reached out and took the young pinkette’s hands. It was a miracle of the gods that they were all awake, all safe and of course, all happy. “So uh, that’s your sister huh?” Serah asked as she embraced her friend. Vanille rolled her eyes as she returned the hug.

“Yep. And before you ask, yes. They were like this the entire time.”

* * *

 

After they were discharged from the hospital, Fang was taken back to the younger Farron’s house with Vanille, as it was closer than Lightning’s house on the outskirts of the village. They all stayed the night, Serah cooking up a feast for her returned friends and her sister even stuck around. The elder Farron was mostly silent for the evening, though Fang saw the softest of smiles on her face, looking like she had been a little less unburdened with their freedom.

Fang shivered as she stepped in the shower the following morning, looking around the small tiled space. This afforded privacy was unlike anything she was used to from growing up in communal living. She perused the assortment of scents coming from the bottles and tried to figure out what was for where and whom.

A sweet, subtle floral scent wafted from one white bottle when Fang squeezed it, and it reminded her of sweet fruits, not dissimilar to the scents she caught from Lightning from time to time. There were other bottles and she grumbled to herself that she didn’t take the extra time to learn Cocoonian writing better so she could figure out the labels.

Fang could ascertain some of the pictures on the bottle with happy looking women massaging their hair and rolled her eyes. “Bloody weird Cocoonian aesthetics...” she mumbled, and hesitantly reached for what she hoped was a soap bottle. It smelt a little muskier and had a picture of a man on the front, so Fang guessed this was for Snow. She decided to use that, as smelling like Lightning would be... Distracting.

Feeling like a bit of a snoop, Fang investigated other cans, jars and containers on the shower shelf. She found a fascinating can that had a picture of a lady baring a white substance on her legs. Eyeballing the item in the lady’s hand, Fang looked around until she found what she was looking for. She picked up the razor and turned it over, inspecting it. “May as well see what all the fuss is about...” she chuckled, recalling a specific memory from their travels.

_The L’cie fugitives sat around the campfire in the fading light, looking and feeling exhausted. Within Vallis Media, the gorge created an echo chamber for the various screeches, roars and howling of the Gran Pulsian wildlife._

_Fang was suppressing her relief for the sake of the Cocoonian companions who were likely scared out of their wits at the untamed wilds, but inwardly she felt at peace being back home. Her eyes travelled over the others, Vanille pointing out the various night chatter from the local fauna trying to calm the boys down. Hope sat bundled with his legs close to his chest, Sazh looked nervously about and Snow just looked like his usual excited self. Fang noticed however that Lightning was only half listening, staring absently into the fire._

_The Pulsian took the opportunity to give her a once over, taking the time to absorb the lithe body and commit the curves to memory. Her gaze stopped at the pale legs, however, as tiny lines glinted from the fire. As if she sensed the observation, Lightning’s eyes snapped up and bore into hers. Fang yelped and looked away quickly, finding something else in the night to occupy herself._

_“What are you staring at?” came the low warning tone in her ears. Fang shrugged while still avoiding eye contact._

_“Um, nothing, just... Nothing.”_

_Lightning’s eyes narrowed and she slowly turned her head away to regard the fire once more. Sure enough, once again she felt Fang’s eyes on her, more specifically her legs. “Alright what, Fang? Are you looking for a tail or something?”_

_“... No...” Fang replied sheepishly after being caught staring for a second time, “It’s just... I’m trying to figure it out... They always called you hairless vipers, with skin like scales and yet, the lights on your legs say otherwise.”_

_“The lights on my...” the pinkette looked down, confused until she saw the firelight dancing off the tiny hairs along her calf. She figured out what the Pulsian meant and scowled. “I... We’ve been on the run, I haven’t had time to shave! Shut up!” She snapped, folding her arms and looking away in embarrassment._

_“Shave? You mean you cut it all off?”_

_“_ Regularly _.” Lightning glowered, her face flushed. She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation. She eyed off the Pulsian’s legs to understand the confusion and realised why. While by no means unkempt, the finest hairs barely visible ran down both Fang and Vanille’s legs. “You... Don’t do that in your village I gather.”_

_Vanille shrugged. “When would we have had the time let alone the inclination? We were all too busy with the war.”_

_Lightning bowed her head, conceding the point and looking like she had been thoroughly chastised. Fang sighed. It was too easy for their new found friends to forget that they were from another time, with very different priorities. Priorities that Lightning herself now shared it would seem, as she glared at her own legs by the fire._

The brunette smiled at the memory, recalling just how easy it was to ruffle Lightning’s feathers- something that quickly became a hobby for Fang as it was the only time she’d ever really see the soldier emote. “Well I guess I have the time now don’t I?” Fang chuckled at Vanille’s words in her mind. “Let’s see if I can figure this out....”

Lightning was downstairs sitting at the kitchen bench, sipping a coffee and enjoying the tranquillity. Vanille was sitting in between the two Farron sisters, as Serah went over the village map so the young Pulsian knew where everything was. The peace was shattered when they all heard Fang yell out from the back of the house.

“Holy shit!”

Lightning spun around, instinctively searching for a weapon as Fang ran down the hallway. Dressed in black shorts along with her usual black crop top, the brunette raced into the kitchen with the biggest grin on her face. Lightning stared hard, realising the shorts were her own that Serah must have accidentally wound up with. Due to her height, they rode extremely high and tight on those tanned legs. The pinkette fought with her gaze to not let her eyes drop to them. They instead landed on Fang’s abdomen that was on full display, tiny droplets of water still visible on her skin from the shower. That wasn’t helpful either. Lightning cleared her throat and looked away, focusing intensely on her coffee in her hands.

“Oh my gods. ‘Nille you’ve gotta try this.” The Pulsian said breathlessly, sticking her leg up on the bench between her sister and Lightning. “Look at it! It’s so bloody smooth!”

“Ooh!” Vanille said as she ran a tentative hand along her calf, “Wow Fang, it feels so different! What’s it like?”

“Like you just want to rub your legs over everything and everyone! Light is this why you were so crabby when we were on Gran Pulse? I can certainly see why. Go on Light, feel my leg, it’s amazing.”

Lightning pushed back from her seat, face beet red and looking away with a huff. “I am  _not_ feeling your damn leg, Fang.”

Fang moved her leg and rubbed it along Lightning’s arm as she pulled it off the bench. “Go onnnn everything feels so silky it’s great!” She replied, relentless. 

“F-Fang! Must you?” The pinkette spluttered, completely exasperated. She was right though, her leg did feel beyond smooth, and she hushed the thoughts that she’d like to feel them again. The brunette bounced around on her feet, feeling giddy with her discovery.

“What would my sari feel like? What does linen feel like? What does grass?  Oh my God I’m going to go roll on the lawn.” She said, taking off like a shot from the kitchen and running outside.

“Fang you are not rolling about on the lawn like a dog... Wait! Fang!” Lightning called out as she chased after the Pulsian, leaving their respective sisters staring after them. They remained silent as the redhead quietly sipped her tea, staring straight ahead.

“So... The entire time?” Serah queried as Vanille hummed into her mug.

“The.  _Entire_. Time.”

* * *

 

Fang and Vanille had been staying with Serah and Snow as they had space for the two of them… They were also collectively worried that the elder Farron would have murdered Fang within the week.

Lightning hadn’t seen much of the two Pulsians over the last couple of weeks and was hoping they were settling in alright. She’d been dragged off on assignment on the Steppe meaning long days, longer nights and staying at the barracks instead of heading home. At least, that’s what she was convincing herself she was doing and not deliberately avoiding an empty house. She was on patrol when she had swung past the Nora café for lunch and found Fang sitting at a table on the outside deck. She was staring blankly out to sea while trailing a finger around the edges of a glass.

For someone that constantly reminded her about her sharp senses and keen hunter skills, Lightning was surprised that she managed to get to the table and pull a chair out before the Pulsian even noticed her presence. “Jeez Light! Gotta put a bell around your neck!” Fang exclaimed with a start.

“Sorry, you looked pretty deep in thought there.” Lightning signalled Yuj for her usual lunch, who nodded and jogged off to the kitchen.

“Yeah? I mean yeah. Sorry. Was just thinking about... Everything really.” The brunette replied, her voice a little muted and dull. “It’s weird to just be sitting here, you know? On one hand, I’m home but... With all this springing up around the lands, it feels like I’ve woken up to another world all over again. I guess I have in a way, haven’t I?”

The pinkette was prepared for a lot of things where Fang was concerned, but a reflective and introspective Fang was not one of them. She watched her friend carefully, and noticed that her finger hadn’t stopped circling the lip of the glass.

“How have you been adjusting to the peace?”

Fang snorted and rolled her eyes. “ _Adjusting_  isn’t the word I’d use darlin’. It’s all too bloody loud. And there’s nothing to do! Your mates at the corps make sure of that. Can’t hunt shit out here...”

Yuj appeared again with a small toasted sandwich and a cold water, placing them on the table with a wave. Lightning nodded in thanks and turned back to Fang with a hum. “You’re welcome to put in an application to join you know. The GC could use someone of your skills and expertise.”

Fang rolled her eyes and fiddled with the edge of her glass. “Please. You think I’m going to fare any better answering to any of these pompous jackarses who haven’t seen what I’ve seen? I barely listened to you when our lives depended on it for Etro’s sake.”

Lighting had to concede that point. With the number of times Fang’s brash behaviour and reckless need to dive in without assessing a situation while they were on the run, she was surprised she hadn’t ground her teeth into a fine powder.

“What if you came on board as a consultant? There’s plenty to keep you busy without having to answer to anyone... Well technically answer to me but you know. You never listened to begin with so it won’t really impact.”

Fang laughed at the memory of Lightning’s aggravated expressions as she whooped and hollered her way into the fracas with little regard for her own personal safety. Lightning struggled to suppress a smile at the sound. She had to admit to herself that despite the endless frustration she had missed Fang’s antics that kept her grounded in the moment yet on her toes at the same time.

A clatter from the kitchen startled both of them, the noise followed closely by Lebreau yelling about broken glass. What hadn’t escaped Lightning’s notice was the fact that Fang’s right hand was now white-knuckling the knife on the table from pure reflex, her pupils dilated to pinpoints. The pinkette slowly and gently placed her hand on her arm and felt how tense the muscles were, like a tension spring ready to snap. “Hey… You ok, Fang?”

The Pulsian flinched at the sound of her name and visibly forced herself to relax. “Sorry Light. Guess I’m more wound up than I realised. Might have to take you up on that offer for consulting work, just to loosen me up a bit yeah?”

Internally, Fang was struggling to remain calm. Her heart was racing from the adrenaline flooding her system, and she found herself suddenly in two places. She was sitting at the table, watching Lightning’s lips move as the pinkette spoke about work that needed to be done. She was also back on the Palamecia, ducking from a metal shard flying past her head as she frantically searched the airship for her adoptive sister.

_Gotta find Vanille. Gotta find her and get off this floating hunk of metal, get out of this hell._

“So what do you say, Fang? Meet me at the office tomorrow?”

“Huh? Oh. Yeah sure sounds good.” Fang quickly scanned her surroundings and reminded herself she was sitting in a cafe with her friend, not fighting for her life. Not anymore. They spent the remainder of Lightning’s lunch between idle chatting and silence. All the while the pinkette watched Fang with a concerned gaze as the brunette continued to trail a finger around the edge of her glass.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN - SEVERAL THINGS. Yeah yeah, another chapter already. Wasn't going to post it until a bit later in the week but to hell with it. A guest commenter over on ff.net picked up on the fact I'd accidentally rated this as a K which... No definitely not. So now, I post a new chapter to thank them for the pick up! Secondly! I changed the name of this story as Arthemise_Black beat me to the original name of "Home" literally a day before I uploaded mine. You should go read it, it's totally great. ANYWAY shutting up now.

The next morning at the New Bodhum GC office, Lightning was waiting out the front for Fang with a coffee in hand. She was grateful that they were still able to utilise the stores from Cocoon. With a little luck, the first plantations in the south will come through in the next season, and she won't have to go without. Lightning sipped her life-giving brew, curious as to whether it will taste any different when grown from Pulsian soil. She thought about a lot of things that would be different for them all in their new lives beyond the shell, specifically the need for warmer clothing now that the temperature was starting to dip in the early morning.

The soldier was clearly lost in thought and didn't see the tall figure approaching until their shadow loomed over her. Lightning glanced up and promptly choked on her coffee as she came eye to eye with Fang who did not look  _at all_  like Fang. The Pulsian had forgone her usual sari in favour of dark pants, enclosed shoes and a black tank top under a jacket. She'd even managed to get her hair up into a messy ponytail. Lightning had to remember to clamp her jaw shut before she nodded in greeting.

"... Good morning."

Fang shuffled her feet in the dirt at the scrutiny and the faintest of blushes showed through her tanned skin. "Vanille and your sister made me go shopping when they found nothing but a couple of salvaged garments of mine in the wash."

"I… See..." Lightning said, trying very hard to not stare at how the brunette's jawline and neck were exposed from her altered hairstyle. "I'm glad you survived then. Not everyone comes out of one of Serah's shopping trips unscathed. Especially not my damn credit chip." She added with a sigh as she checked her bank balance from her phone. Fang gave a small lop-sided grin and bumped her shoulder against the pinkette's.

"Figured I have to get around to it sometime. I'm told my fashion is somewhat… Dated…"

Lightning rolled her eyes at the terrible joke, not looking up from her phone. "Being older than all of us by half a millennium will do that to you."

The brunette was about to protest the crack about her age when she saw Lightning straighten up and salute the approaching large uniformed man. "At ease Major. It's too early for formalities." He yawned as he strolled past the pair.

"Major… Didn't realise you got a promotion. Congrats I guess?" Fang whispered as she fell into step alongside Lightning who was following the General inside.

"I helped save the world, they figure a mild pay rise and a few extra stripes were in order." The pinkette muttered in return.

"Modest as ever, Farron," The General chuckled as he opened the door to his office and ushered them inside. "So you're the famous Oerba Yun Fang. I am General Amodar and I have to say, ma'am, it's an absolute honour. On behalf of all of us I thank you for your sacrifice alongside your sister."

He went to shake her hand but instead enveloped her in a giant hug which elicited a squawk from the unsuspecting Pulsian. "We've got a new regiment starting up this week Major, they've arrived this morning and should be here shortly. Yun Fang, I was hoping that we could employ your expertise to get them up and running with the land as soon as possible."

The brunette waved her hand in dismissal at the formalities. "Just Fang is fine, Amodar. Be happy to show the greens around. You looking to expand?"

The General shrugged as his assistant brought in a coffee for himself, pausing for a moment to inhale the bitter aroma. "Well we're only a small precinct here because New Bodhum is small, however, we've grown large enough now to be considered a port town."

True enough, the town had become the main interchange between the new settlements at Paddra and the fledgeling city at the base of the pillar, Academia. Fang's eyes narrowed subtly at the thought of how quickly New Bodhum had grown in the time she was asleep. While three years paled in comparison to the five centuries encased in crystal, it was still something that unsettled her regardless. Would there be anything resembling her home left in a matter of years?

Amodar roused her from her thoughts with a hearty chuckle. "The fact that we have the saviours of Cocoon in our sleepy little town probably helps as well, hey Farron?" Lightning groaned and shifted uncomfortably in her seat at the unwanted title. She looked over at Fang who had started subtly bouncing her left leg on the spot as the brunette sat and nodded, appearing interested in the discussion.

Appearances were deceiving, however, as Fang wasn't paying attention in the slightest. Once more she found herself in two places; the Guardian Corps office next to Lightning and at the same time, falling away from her. Her brand on her arm lit up and enveloped her in a burning light that swallowed her whole. The last thing she saw was the pinkette reaching for her as her vision turned white.

The desk phone ringing snapped the Pulsian back to reality, not realising that her breathing had quickened and a thin sheen of sweat had dampened her forehead. Fang slowly turned her gaze to check her shoulder where her brand once was, trying to not draw attention to herself. She sighed with relief to find her arm bare of any scorched markings, just the usual smattering of scars. Lightning watched her pronounced breathing and nails digging into the chair, immediately concerned.

"Fang..." she whispered, "Are you ok?"

The Pulsian took a few deeper breaths, slowly letting them out each time until she was a little calmer. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Sorry. Was miles away then." She gave her trademark smirk to her companion in the hopes it would alleviate the troubled frown she was receiving. It didn't. "Sorry, Light. Didn't sleep too well."

When Lightning looked beyond the semi-tidied hair and stopped eyeing off that unsettlingly distracting jawline, she could see that Fang's eyes were bloodshot and shadowed by dark circles. She was restless and hadn't sat still since they got into the General's office. While her boss was on the phone chatting away, Lightning slowly leant over and placed a hand on the Pulsian's still bouncing leg in an attempt to still it.

Fang looked down at the pale fingers on her knee and watched her leg's movements slow and come to a stop. She glanced up at the cerulean eyes that were fixed on her and took a deep breath. "Sorry... Sorry." She repeated a few times, worried that her restlessness was testing what little of her friend's patience there was to begin with.

"Come on ladies, they're here in the courtyard. Let's go meet the Calvary." Amodar said loudly as he hung up the phone. Fang's head snapped up slightly faster than Lightning's had at the name.

"You're... Just using that as a turn of phrase, right?" Fang asked hesitantly, afraid of what it could mean regardless of the answer. When Amodar didn't reply and merely held the door open with a smile, they both took off from the office and left their chairs spinning in their wake. Lightning was always going to be faster and made it to the courtyard first to find a small group milling about. While she slowed up at the sight of a particular tall soldier with a very distinct shaggy red hair, Fang kept going and pelted forward, knocking him off his feet.

"You son of a bitch!" The Pulsian growled and didn't hesitate to lay in a solid punch straight to his jaw.

"Fang!" Lightning rushed forward and pulled the raging woman back.

The man laughed and wiped the blood away from his mouth. "Geez girly, always knew you packed a solid punch. Can't say I didn't have that coming though." Fang was panting from her exertion, with Lightning still holding her back.

"My name... Isn't... Fucking... Girly... Arsehole..."

Amodar wandered into the yard looking amused at the scene unfolding before him. "So I take it you've all met before, Rygdea?" He called out to the man splayed on the concrete.

"Fang, calm the hell down already!" Lightning hissed in her ear. The brunette suddenly became very aware of the soldier's arms across her stomach and her chest and she suppressed a shiver. She calmed instantly, remembering both her place and the person currently holding onto her.

"I'm good… I'm good." she murmured with her head turned slightly to address the pinkette behind her. Lightning reluctantly let Fang go, and the Pulsian stalked over to Rygdea. The pinkette was about to intervene again when she saw her friend hold out her hand to help him up. He took it with mild hesitation, and was then startled as Fang pulled him straight into a hug. "You idiot," She whispered with a broken voice barely composed, "I thought you were dead. Turned to Cieth."

Slowly he returned the embrace and ignored the dumbfounded stares he was getting from Lightning and the others. "I'm sorry I scared you. We got called away from the plaza at the last minute, and the comms were dead. Those creepy crystal monsters were their own soldiers Fang, not us. We all got out. We've just been busy with securing everything post-Fall that this is literally the first chance we've had to check in."

Lightning knew that the two of them had spent more time together when Fang and Vanille had initially woken from crystal but didn't realise they had gotten so close. She'd never bothered to ask. It made her feel guilty, and a little jealous that Fang had someone else to go to.

They finally let go of each other and allowed Rygdea and his men to get into formation while Amodar went over an introduction of the city and surrounds. The Pulsian saw the way Lightning was looking at her and coughed. "He just... Reminds me of an old friend I had back in Oerba. His name was Lucyn. We were wrapped in the same cloth, the Elders would say. He was taken when one of the Fal'Cie came down and took more of our lands for Cocoon. Rygdea… Is a lot like him."

"Fang, were you and Rygdea, you know…" Lightning trailed off, uncertain as to how to finish that question politely… Or why she was worried about the answer. The brunette grimaced and stuck her tongue out.

"Ew Light. No. I don't swing that way. Just friends. He showed me kindness when there was no reason to do so back when Vanille and I got separated. He had every reason to put a bullet in my head. Instead, he helped us save the world."

Lightning nodded but paused as it sunk in properly. "Wait, what do you mean 'you don't swing that way'? What swing? Why is there a swing involved?"

Fang looked at her, incredulous. "You're kidding, right? Did they grow all you vipers in a field somewhere? Nobody give you the uh, facts of life?" She said with a raised eyebrow, considering the pinkette's form. Lightning glared at her and folded her arms with a huff.

"I know what sex is, Fang. We were sheltered in Cocoon but not completely devoid of common sense." She replied with a scowl, "I just… does it work differently down here on Pulse?" Her eyes flicked down to Fang's jeans then back up, slightly concerned. The meeting was interrupted by Fang's roaring laughter as she almost fell off her seat. Lightning was bright red and glared at the others to keep their eyes front.

As Amodar cleared his throat and continued, Fang leant over and whispered in the pinkette's ear. "No Light, we all have the same equipment down there, don't worry. I just prefer bedding people with the same set as I do."

Lightning continued to remain as pink as her hair for the remainder of the meeting.

* * *

_Fang was sitting out in the courtyard, whittling away at a piece of wood as she watched Vanille go through a herbal session with the elders. Her adoptive sister had shown a lot of promise early on and was likely the next in line to replace the village healer. The Pulsian smiled as she focused on her carving, tongue poking out the side of her mouth in concentration._

" _You think that will be a sufficient offering to Anima during the next festival?" A lanky boy about her age asked as he sat on the wall beside her. She scoffed and held up the tiny work in progress to the light. It was a behemoth on its hind legs, head raised, making a crude gesture in the air._

" _Does it look like I really give a shit Lucyn? Does it look like any of us give a shit? Do the elders? The Fal'Cie? The vipers in the sky? None of them do. So, I'll sit here and carve out my little monster fingering the sky until I end up branded or dead."_

_The boy fidgeted with his nails and looked over at the class in the centre of the square. "Damn Fang, I know the war is getting you down but… Every viper you kill you're growing colder." There was a creaking sound as Fang gripped the little statue she had been working on until it splintered and broke, with flakes of wood falling to the stone pathway below. The shards of wood stuck into the palm of her hand, making it bleed._

" _What do you expect? That I'm going to be able to enjoy the evening festivities after having to look them in the eyes? They're vipers Lucyn, but they have the same face as us. Same eyes. Same blood. Same look on their face when they die."_

_Vanille turned her head towards the two and waved, as she was chastised by the elder for disrupting the class. Lucyn took her by her injured hand and cradled it gently while he began to remove the splinters from her skin. "You've still got me though Fang, and you've definitely still got 'Nille." He sighed as he leapt off the wall. "Come on, let's kidnap Vanille and head to the river. You look like you could use the break."_

_The brunette couldn't help but smile at the infectious positivity that her friend refused to let go of in the face of abject despair. They ran over as the class was wrapping up, and Fang picked up her sibling and threw her over her shoulder as they ran off to the river together._

_They spent the afternoon lazing about both in and out of the water, and if Fang closed her eyes and just lay still, she could almost forget that there was a war going on around them. Vanille crawled up beside her and lay on the bank. "Fang, are you ok?" She asked quietly. "It's just… You've been getting more distant lately, more reckless in the skirmishes with the enemy and I'm… Worried about you."_

_The brunette leant over and ruffled her sister's hair, pulling her into a hug. "I'll be ok missy. Just gotta keep going until I can't anymore you know?"_

" _What happens if it ends tomorrow though? What will you do then?"_

_Fang laughed and looked back in the direction of her village. "Go and bed every available woman in Oerba as celebration and not come up for air until at least the next harvest festival?" She received a smack on her arm for her crudeness. Vanille glared at her adoptive sibling, grabbing her on the hand and holding onto it tightly._

" _I'm serious Fang! If you just keep going, you'll not know when you're meant to stop."_

_They were interrupted by a screeching sound that came from the sky above them. An enormous Fal'Cie swooped over the valley and headed for the river where they lay. Fang frantically looked around and found Lucyn in the middle of the water, staring up at them with a sad, resigned smile on his face._

" _Lucyn! Get out of there!" Fang screamed as she scrambled to her feet._

" _Don't let them take your heart, Fang!" He called back to her, not moving as the Cocoon Fal'Cie dug its mountain-sized hands into the bed in front of them and scooped up the land's resources with the Oerban villager within. "Don't let them take y-"_

_The rumbling of the earth and the hollow scream from Fang's throat drowned out any other last words from a life-long friend as the Fal'Cie vanished back to its nest and left the two Pulsians knelt before a vast crater._

"Fang! Are you even listening? This is important!" Vanille asked with a frown and a hand on her hip. The brunette nearly fell off the bed they were sitting on. It took a moment for Fang to get her bearings and remind herself she wasn't back in Oerba but at Snow and Serah's house in New Bodhum.

"You've been hiding away here for days, weeks even. You're more distracted than ever and we're... I'm worried about you." There were tears pricking at Vanille's eyes as she took her older sister's hands and held them. "And with this opportunity I'm-"

"Huh? What opportunity?" Fang asked, confused. Vanille's expression became frustrated.

"See this is what I'm talking about. I've been sitting here talking to you about how the city of Academia wants me to go and conduct research with them for a few months, and you've not heard any of it." She dropped Fang's hands and stood up. "I... Can't pass this up Fang, and I need your support in this. I'm scared I'm going to lose you."

"You're not going to lose me, and of course I support you 'Nille, I think it's great," Fang said automatically, only half aware of what her sibling was talking about. She looked out of the window to the pillar holding Cocoon aloft and sighed.

"It's... Not like I'll be gone long, and I'm not too far away..."

"It's fine, Vanille." Fang said brusquely without turning, "These soft Cocoonians need all the help they can get."

The redhead shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "Well... Ok then. That's good. Hey, you know Serah is having a family dinner this week? When was the last time you saw Lightning?"

The pinkette's name drew Fang's attention away from the window with equal parts hope and longing battering away in her chest. She hadn't seen Lightning in weeks, the woman so involved with her work it's a miracle to have even had her accept the invite.  _Though that was likely under penalty of the wrath of the mini-Lightning..._ Fang winced at the thought. She always thought Lightning was scary with her anger. But Serah was terrifying.

She had kept her distance lately, not wanting the soldier to see her at anything less than her best. Somewhere along the line, her friend had become somewhat of a lifeline for her, and she found keeping the demons at bay just that little bit easier when the pinkette was around. But Fang's declining mental health made her feel ashamed to be around her. There were other conflicting feelings that were surfacing around her as well, ones that Fang had no clue how to act on despite her cavalier nature back home in her village.

"It's been a minute, and yeah yeah I'll be there for the dinner." With a huff, she buried her head into a pillow. Vanille rolled her eyes and left the room, exasperated.

Once she was certain the coast was clear Fang uncovered herself from her hiding place and sat up slowly. She took a ragged breath and stared at her hands. They were trembling, as per usual, and she clenched her fists in an attempt to still the movement. They'd been shaking for the last few weeks, and would always get worse after she would be lost in a memory.

She scratched at the skin on the back of her hand, feeling agitated. Looking around the room she found one of her saris she'd found in storage and pulled it out. Seeing the extent of the wear and tear, she sighed. Vacuum sealing was all well and good but not completely foolproof, with some of the stitching dissolved. Nodding to herself, she pulled out her kit and got to work.

Anything to keep her hands busy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As Home was originally a handful of one-shots that I began to piece together to create this story, the way I've edited and re-wrote this is that sometimes it's going to be a little jarring in terms of transitions between memories and present-day shenanigans. 
> 
> While it won't always be the case, I assure you it's deliberate as I'm trying to simulate as best I can what it's like to have a dissociative state. As someone that deals with them frequently, getting caught up in a flashback or literally just losing track of time, I can personally attest to just how fucking disorientating it is when you come out of them to find someone's been trying to have a conversation with you for ten minutes, or that you've been staring at a pot of boiling water for half an hour while trying to make dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sky is dumping about a month's worth of rain in a day here, and I'm cooped up and bored. Therefore, a new chapter appears. So much for spacing these things out again... There is nowhere near a buffer like there was with I2D but eh. YOLO or something.

Lightning sped through the streets, running late as per usual. Serah's house loomed in front of her, and she internally cursed for her terrible sense of timing and ability to get too absorbed into her work. " _I'll just finish one report and head off_ " turned into five, and then before she knew it she was knocking papers everywhere in her office once she realised she was running late. The family dinners were important to Serah, and they had grown significantly in size since Fang and Vanille's return. The pinkette got off her hoverbike and walked briskly towards the house.

Lightning approached the door to hear laughter on the other side. She stopped on the porch for a moment, and held her breath. Work had gotten on top of her over the last few weeks but then again, when did it not? She was nervous about seeing everyone and couldn't pinpoint why. She was worried she was slipping into old habits from keeping her distance and being too involved with work, but none of the usual arguments had surfaced between herself and Serah. Maybe she was overthinking it. Or maybe her sister had her husband to fuss over these days so didn't care. Lightning's stomach sank at the thought, that maybe she was being forgotten about. Or maybe she was forgetting about everyone all over again. Easier to cope with the loneliness when it was from your own doing.

Eventually shaking off the sombre thoughts with a forceful exhale, the soldier knocked on the door to her sister's home. Snow opened it as wide as his grin and held out his hands in welcome. "Sis! Good to see you!"

"I'm not your sister…" Lightning replied automatically. At this point in their lives it no longer holding the threat it once did, and more ran as an ongoing joke between them. She punched him on the shoulder for good measure though, which made her feel better.

The kitchen was a hive of activity, with Vanille and Serah preparing the meal while Yuj and Lebreau assisted them. Hope was sitting at the dining table with Maqui, Sazh and his son chatting away while Snow walked back to the lounge room to continue his beer with Rygdea and Gadot. But it was clear to the pinkette that someone was missing.

"Claire!" Serah dropped her spoon back into the saucepan and ran over to give her sister a hug. "When did you get in?"

Lightning returned her sibling's affection though still mildly distracted. "Last night, I'm on base for the next month at least which is good. I was getting sick of the insects out on the Steppe. Where's Fang?"

She didn't miss the side glance Serah and Vanille shared at the mentioning of the Pulsian's name. "She's upstairs, still getting ready I think, or whatever excuse she's making." The redhead replied with a shrug and went back to focusing on her cooking. "Can you go get her and make sure she actually makes an appearance?"

Lightning shared a momentary look with her sister, and retreated from the kitchen when Serah shook her head. There would be time for private questioning later about whatever was going on between the Oerban siblings. The pinkette made her way up the stairs to where she knew the spare room was, and quietly knocked on the door. When there was no answer, she slowly opened the door to find Fang perched in the middle of the bed. Her tongue poked from her mouth in concentration as she sewed material together, repairing one of her saris.

"Looks a sight better than when you were doing that on me you know," Lightning called out. She watched Fang frown and blink for a couple of seconds, looking mildly disorientated. The brunette's head tilted up to regard her and the pinkette marvelled at how her face lit up in recognition.

"Light! It's so good to see you, Sunshine. Take a seat, I'll be done in a minute."

As she sat down next to the focused Pulsian, she thought back to the last time she saw Fang working with her hands and ran a thumb over the faint scar on her arm.

_Sloppy. Too sloppy._

_Lightning had narrowly avoided getting shot up by a set of Sanctum velocycles but got mowed down by a "bird-bot" as her new travelling companion referred to them. They were cut off from Snow and Hope, and the pinkette was still mad at the foreign woman for being the catalyst for this whole nightmare they found themselves in._

" _Looks nasty, that cut." Fang gestured to it as she knelt down to inspect the wound. Lightning winced and pulled her arm away from the Pulsian as the tanned fingers traced over her skin. The pinkette ran her own hand over the top, trying to call up some healing magic but came up empty._

" _Dammit. I'm tapped out." She hissed in pain and slumped back against the wall. Palumpolum was otherwise shut down and they needed to keep moving, but not if she couldn't stop the bleeding._

" _Welp, looks like we're going to have to fix this the old-fashioned way." Fang sighed while fishing a small bag off her belt. She took out a linen wrap and a tiny jar, along with a needle and thread._

" _If you think you're coming near me with any of that barbaric-"_

" _Listen here missy," Fang cut her off mid-sentence with a stern gaze. "We don't have time. We don't have time for stubbornness, we don't have time for egos and we definitely don't have time for any of your shit. So shut up, take it like a soldier and have Hope fix you up when we get there or when you have enough juice in your system to heal it. Don't want it to leave a scar on your precious pampered skin."_

_Fang got to work, opening up the jar and dabbing a gel in and around the cut. Lightning winced but clenched her jaw shut in silence. "It's an antiseptic and numbing agent. It'll help with the pain." The Pulsian said, her tone softer than before, "The gash is nasty, and we'll need to stitch it up." Lightning simply nodded stiffly, remaining silent after her chastising._

_The aesthetic gel at least dulled the pain from when the needle started going through her skin, but she still paled at the sight regardless. Lightning wanted to focus on anything else, and looked up at Fang instead. The tip of her tongue was poking out of her mouth as she worked, and she had a calm expression on her face that strangely settled the pinkette. Calm people made less mistakes, after all. "You... Like working with your hands I gather?" She asked idly, blushing a little at the glance behind a raised eyebrow she received when Fang paused in her work._

" _Yeah.. It keeps me busy, and mostly out of trouble." She drawled, then returned to her work. "There. Done. Just needs a bandage to keep the dirt out and then you can get it sorted when we meet back up with Hope." Lightning looked down at Fang's handiwork with surprise. For someone she accused of using barbaric methods not five minutes prior, the stitches were neat and closed the wound into a small line. She remained silent as the Pulsian gently wrapped the linen around her arm and tied it off._

_A few nights later as the group sat around a fire in the wild untamed lands of Gran Pulse, Fang eyed off the linen still tied off on Lightning's arm. "Hey, that'll scar if you don't get some someone to heal it."_

" _It's fine." The pinkette shrugged, "I don't mind if it leaves one."_

" _But why?" Fang asked with a curious expression._

" _It's a reminder about different perspectives and... Snap judgements about people."_

"You know, you could have always just written yourself a damn note instead of letting that gash scar over.." Fang muttered from her place on the bed and reached over to touch the scar. Lightning looked up from her reflections as she felt tanned fingers run lightly over her arm.

The pinkette smiled and gave her a sly look. "Didn't have time to find a pen and paper."

Fang laughed at the rare treasure that was a joke from the otherwise stoic soldier and placed her work down beside her. "I 'spose I can't put this whole social thing off forever can I?" She said with a sigh. Lightning couldn't help but huff in agreement.

"There's definitely more people showing up to these things than I remember. I think I'd prefer just a nice quiet catch-up over a few drinks."

A smile crossed the Pulsian's face and she nudged the soldier gently. "That an offer for a date, Sunshine?" She said with a grin, enjoying the glare she received as a reply. Fang stood and held out a hand to help Lightning up. The pinkette took it and allowed herself to be pulled up from her spot on the bed. It put her in immediate proximity of the tall woman, and the two stared at each other for longer than a moment until a crash from downstairs had the Pulsian flinch and reel back on reflex.

"Etro's fucking Gate.." She hissed and dug her nails into her palms, willing her frayed nerves to calm and her heart rate to settle down.

"Fang, are you… ok? Really ok?" Lightning hesitantly asked placing a hand on her shoulder. The tanned woman exhaled forcefully and shrugged the hand from her.

"Yeah. Yeah fine just… jumpy. That's all. Didn't sleep well."

"Do you ever?" Lightning whispered, moving closer. She could feel the warmth emanating from Fang, and looked down to see her shaking hands. "I'm worried about you, you know."

Jade eyes stared off to the side, feigning eye contact. Fang wasn't interested in worry, or pity. It made her feel weak, weaker than she already felt. "I'm fine, Light. Let's go do this social… Whatever, ok?" She said firmly, turning on her heel and heading downstairs before the pinkette could press her for any further information. Lightning stared after her with a clench of her fist and followed out of the room.

She chose to remain close to Fang for the evening, feeling unconsciously protective of her restless friend. The Pulsian flinched at every loud noise, sudden movement and touch from anyone else at the table. Which, Lightning noted with vague interest, she didn't seem to do as much with any physical contact from her. Fang was withdrawn from the conversation, staring off into space and only interacting to a minimal extent. Vanille kept staring at her from across the table, equal parts frustrated and worried.

"So Vanille? I hear Academia has a consultant position for you over the next few months? How exciting is that?" Lebreau asked from the other end of the table. Vanille looked mildly nervous as her eyes darted between her sister and the dark-haired woman.

"Yes! It's only for a few months, but I'm looking forward to it." She replied, forcing cheer into her voice.

"So nice of you to tell me before you accepted it..." Fang muttered under her breath, but it was loud enough for Lightning to hear. The pinkette reached under the table and put her hand on Fang's leg, almost on instinct knowing it would be bouncing restlessly. The muscles tensed then relaxed immediately under her touch, and the Pulsian's jaw clenched tight. Lightning left her hand there, unconsciously stroking the skin with her thumb while Vanille and the others chatted away.

"We can talk about it later," She whispered as the conversation picked up around them, "You can rant and yell and swear all you like. Just not here, not now. You'll regret it."

"Speaking from personal experience are we?" Fang hissed back, glaring holes into Vanille's head as she ground her teeth. Lightning gave her a firm look and set her jaw.

"You  _know_  I am." She replied sternly, and squeezed Fang's knee before retracting her hand. The brunette immediately felt the loss, and it hurt her heart even more to feel that way. She gritted her teeth to force the tears back that stung at her eyes, and hunched over the table, idly stabbing at her food with her fork.

The others were animatedly discussing their journey, sharing stories of their first time here on Gran Pulse to those in the room that weren't with them. Snow was telling a particularly humorous story about how Sazh was chasing a tiny cactaur around the Steppe, intent on catching it. Everyone at the table was laughing, except for two people. Lightning was watching the expression on Fang's face noticeably darken. Before she could attempt to intervene, the Pulsian slammed her hands down on the table and stood, startling everyone and silencing the room.

"I've had enough." She snapped, and kicked the chair back from behind her legs which sent it falling to the floor.

"Fang! We were just telling stories…" Vanille said with a pout.

"Yes, let's all make light of the race against the clock where we had to destroy the world in order to stop from spending eternity as hideous monsters. Fabulous. And then how we saved those ungrateful Cocoonians only to take a glass nap for three years and watch them move onto Gran Pulse and spread. Yep. Laughter all round."

Lightning stood up and put a hand on Fang's arm to attempt to calm her, but it had the opposite effect. She flung her arm back with a growl, only narrowly avoiding hitting the pinkette in the process. "Don't  _touch me_." She snarled and stalked out of the room. The silence left a void in her wake, shattered only as the front door slammed a few minutes later. Vanille was tearing up and Serah put an arm over her shoulder while giving her sister a pointed look. Lightning took the hint and excused herself from the table to chase after Fang.

The Pulsian was already halfway out of the village by the time Lightning had caught up with her. "Would you slow down already? Hey!" She called out after her, but the pace didn't slow. Fang's lance was attached to her belt and she carried a small rucksack on her back. "Fang, wait… Please?" Lightning implored in the hopes she would finally stop moving and she could find out what was going on. The pleading tone was enough to tug at the brunette's heart long enough to still her movements. She stopped in the middle of the road, staring straight ahead.

"Fang, what's going on with you?" Lightning didn't know why she was hurting to see her friend this way, but it clutched at her chest and threatened to overwhelm her. "Talk to me... Please..."

"I can't."

"Why?" Lightning moved around to face the Pulsian, and was struck with the view of her in the dim light. Her teeth were clenched and tears ran down her face. The pinkette reached out but didn't touch her friend, considering the earlier reaction. "Fang.."

"Just leave it, Light. I need to get some air it's…. too loud here. Don't follow me."

Fang continued on down the path out of New Bodhum, leaving Lightning staring after her.

* * *

 

Once more tied up with work, Lightning hadn't spoken to anyone since the dinner a few weeks back. She was intent on giving Fang the space requested, but couldn't help but feel lonely without seeing or hearing from her. Something was clearly going on with the Pulsian, but until she was ready to speak Lightning didn't know what else to do. " _I should at least check in to make sure she's ok…"_ She thought to herself as she got dressed.

She'd barely been home a day after being called out on a mission again on the Steppe. The pinkette found herself looking out across the plains often while away, hoping she would see her friend out hunting. After a couple of early attempts at messages checking in went unanswered she gave up, feeling like it was only causing more harm than good at that point.

Still, her thoughts drifted to Fang more often than not. Lightning thought the frequency would have died down now that she was out of Crystal stasis with Vanille, but if anything they'd just gotten more intense. She slowly realised that Fang was serving as a lifeline for her, helping keep her demons at bay whenever she was around the brunette. She didn't feel so lonely and directionless when she was around the Pulsian, the warmth creeping into her heart signalling that it was still in there, beating away whenever Fang was around.

But she felt ashamed of her distant nature, even though it was always how she dealt with her feelings. After her parents died, after losing Serah and being branded... After they saved Cocoon and she lost Fang... The self-imposed isolation was a way of protecting herself against further anxiety, but with how Fang exploded at the dinner and disappeared from the village, Lightning shifted uncomfortably as she became worried over the true cost of her own distance.

She quietly made herself a coffee as she got ready for work and cursed when her ringing phone pierced the silence of her morning routine. She was going to ignore it until she saw the caller ID and thought better of it.

"Vanille? What can I do for you?"

"Oh, hey Lightning, I haven't called at a bad time have I?" The redhead's usually cheery voice sounded a bit anxious and it immediately got the soldier's hackles up.

"No, I'm just getting ready for work. Is everything alright?"

There was a brief silence on the end of the line as Vanille took a breath. "It's Fang. I haven't... I haven't heard from her since just after the dinner. She... Hasn't been home."

Lightning stopped in her paces and gripped the phone tighter. Her heart suddenly hammered in her ears. "Vanille, that was nearly three weeks ago. Why am I only hearing about this now?"

"You've been really busy with work and I just thought she needed space, go hunting and then she'd come back. Lightning, I don't think she had been... Adjusting to life outside of stasis. All we've ever done is fight or run. I'm not sure she knows how to live a life without either of those things, so she's… Vanished."

Lightning swore under her breath and tried not to take her anger out on the smaller woman. "I have an idea as to where she's gone, I'll go check it out and get back to you." She abruptly hung up on Vanille before the redhead could squeak out her thanks and dialled her office to call in a favour. Needless to say Amodar had no issues with her taking the day off, and encouraged her to attempt to take the whole week.

Hanging up the phone, it was tempting to throw it across the room in anger. Three weeks.  _Three weeks._ "Three  _goddamn_  weeks. Are you  _kidding_  me?" Lightning yelled at the empty room around her. But, try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to be mad at Vanille. It wasn't her fault. If anything, the only person she could blame was staring at her from the hallway mirror. Her heart rattled against her rib cage as she tried to calm her breathing. What if something has happened to her friend? She swore at herself when she realised something  _has_ been happening to her friend, and once again the pinkette had isolated herself from the people she cared about.

She grabbed what remained of her gear and jumped on the hover out the front of her house, speeding off in the direction of the only place she would know Fang would go.

Home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another chapter- loading up hoorayimuseful.tumblr.com with art as per usual.

Night had almost fallen by the time Lightning reached the outskirts of the ghost town of Oerba. Out of respect, they had left it as it was as a memorial to the War of Transgressions and Revelations, mostly though because it didn't feel right to build over Fang and Vanille's home. The place was still as deserted as they had come across, though had been slightly cleared of much of the crystal dust that had suffocated the ground on their last visit.

The whole village was in darkness, with the exception of a lone dim light coming from the house the two Pulsian siblings lived in. Lightning smiled at herself for her instincts being on point as usual. She pulled up out the front of the stairs leading up to where she would find Fang. She ascended two at a time, feeling rushed to make sure her friend was ok.

She attempted to straighten her hair from the wind and not look as puffed as she knocked on the door. After a moment the rusted metal screeched open to reveal a suspicious looking Fang peering out from the crack. Upon seeing the soldier her eyes widened in surprise and she yanked the door the rest of the way. "Light! Didn't uh... Expect you... That is... Uh... What are you doing here?"

Lightning gave her friend a once over and bit her lip in worry and guilt. She hadn't been around as much as she wanted to when Fang woke up from crystal for the second time, and whatever was going on with her had taken its toll. She was thinner from when Lightning saw her last, with dark circles under her eyes and looking gaunt.

"Vanille called, said you hadn't been in contact and weren't returning her calls. Figured I'd swing by and make sure you hadn't been stepped on by an adamantoise or something."

Fang laughed, but it sounded distant and hollow. Her eyes darted everywhere and refused to make eye contact. "I just needed a bit of space, time. You know. Hunt and stuff."

"Doesn't look like you're catching much, when was the last time you ate?"

What little there was of Fang's jovial front vanished when her diminished frame was pointed out. She turned her back on the pinkette and sat on a nearby chair, pulling a blade off her belt and toying with the point.

"Sweet of you to come all this way out here to check on little old me, but you didn't need to, Sunshine. I'm fine." She said coldly, gripping the hilt of the blade a little tighter.

Lightning looked around at the old house Fang had been living in for the better part of a month after she awoke from crystal stasis. The door was barely back on its hinges, and their surroundings were essentially the same aged and dilapidated wreck from their journey through Oerba three years ago. If it weren't for the newly treated furs in what was left of one of the bedrooms, she would have thought Fang wasn't even residing here. Judging by her demeanour and the fact that she was currently  _armed_ , the pinkette was certain she was wandering into very dangerous territories. But she pursued regardless.

"You don't exactly look fine Fang. You took off without a word a nearly three weeks ago, not even Vanille has heard from you. Of course we're going to worry." Lightning chastised as she watched Fang fidget with a small blade she'd pulled from her belt. "You'd barely been out of crystal and... Then you were gone."

"Well if Vanille hadn't have called would you even have noticed? It's not like this house call of yours is a regular occurrence."

Lightning internally berated herself for once again allowing work to create distance between herself and someone she cared about. "I... Deserve that. With Serah leaving and everyone else getting on with their lives I just.. Threw myself into my work, which was at least predictable. Lonely, but predictable."

Fang caught the hint of sadness to the pinkette's voice and raised her head to look at her. The bright blue eyes staring at her were laced with concern and dare she say, hurt.

"I'm... I'm sorry Light," she finally relented, putting the knife down on the table with a sigh. "I didn't mean to make anyone worry it's just... So much has changed you know?"

Lightning sat down on the seat beside her and curled her fingers together as she tried not to fidget herself. "It's for the better, we've won. I understan-"

"No you don't!" Fang suddenly snapped, startling the pinkette. "You don't understand for a minute. I was born into war Lightning! Every waking breath was about survival, and fighting against the vipers in the sky." The brunette leapt up and began to pace to rid herself of the built up rage. "Every day we lost more, and I fought more. My parents, my family, my friends, the village elders... All dead. This place is nothing more than a monument to everything I've lost. Everything that was taken from me."

Lightning was shocked into silence. She stared at her Pulsian friend, as she shook with anger and grief.

"I thought I could do it you know? Have that great relaxing life on the Steppe, enjoy the peace. But how do you stop when you've been constantly moving ever since you could walk? How do you relax a muscle that has always been tensed for battle? How do you stop flinching at every sound, looking for escapes to every room, see everyone as a threat? If you understand so much Lightning then tell me, tell me ho-"

Her voice was cut off as pale arms flung around her neck and she was pulled in close. The pinkette wrapped her in a crushing hug, and refused to let go. "I'm sorry." She whispered into the tanned ear, "I'm so sorry Fang. I'm so sorry you've gone through this alone." Lightning felt her friend suddenly deflate and began sobbing into her neck. They both fell to their knees still holding each other as Fang let out her sorrow.

"You haven't lost everyone, Fang. You're not alone anymore."

* * *

Fang woke up to the gentle hushed sound of Lightning's voice.

"Yeah. I'm glad I found her, but you should have told me sooner... No. Not really. She will be ok, but not right now... I'd advise against it... Well, I'm not leaving her anytime soon so... Yes. I'll be in touch."

Fang glanced down at herself as she peeled the furs back. She didn't even remember falling asleep let alone how she got to her prepared bed. The sound of a throat clearing drew her attention to the doorway, as Lightning appeared with a bottle of water in hand.

"Welcome back." She said quietly and sat down on the makeshift bed. Fang was suddenly all too aware of her rake thin body and felt embarrassed. She worked hard to keep her strength and fitness up but over the last months of barely sleeping or eating, especially in the last few weeks, had left much of that work in disrepair.

"I'm sorry I... Don't remember falling asleep."

"It was less falling asleep and more falling unconscious after succumbing to exhaustion but, whatever works I guess." The pinkette shrugged as she made pointed glances between the bottle of water and Fang's hand. The brunette took the hint and swigged the bottle, relishing the fresh cold liquid pouring down her throat.

Lightning remained quiet as she thought about her friend. They had been through so much together, and despite how often they clashed they had seen somewhat of a kindred spirit in each other. From their stubborn refusal to surrender to their fierce protectiveness of their sisters. They matched each other in martial skill and complimented where they didn't. Lightning was faster, Fang was stronger.  _At least she was_ , the pinkette thought with a wince as she saw ribs underneath the Pulsian's sari.

"I'm worried about you Fang."

The brunette sat up but refused to make eye contact, staring just off to the side.

"I... don't think I can go back, Light. So many people just... Aggravates me at the moment. Makes me feel claustrophobic. Vanille's got her life, everyone has their lives and I... Just... Maybe it's easier to just stay out here away from everyone."

"Come home with me." Lightning suddenly blurted, surprising even herself with her outburst. Fang raised an eyebrow in her direction, a curious expression on her face. "That is to say... Uh, well my house is on the outskirts to.. Keep away from people as well so it's quieter. On a hill, with a good vantage point overlooking the rest of the village… You… wouldn't have to worry about it being loud or crowded or anything."

Fang watched the blush creeping up the pinkette's face until it matched her hair. "I'm not sure you want me as a roommate Sunshine.." she said quietly, looking out of the window at the lake beyond the village square.

"A guest then. Stay as long as you like, no obligations or expectations. Besides, it would be nice to have someone to come home to, uh that is... I would...it would mean a lot if I knew you were ok."

"Ok."

"That's it?"

Fang stood up and packed her few possessions and rolled up a few of the furs to take with her. She could always go hunting for more if the rest weren't here the next time she passed through.

"I could never say no to you Light." She shrugged. Lightning rolled her eyes at the Pulsian and headed for the door.

"Sure you can, you did it so frequently when we were travelling I'm convinced you did it on purpose to piss me off."

The pinkette found herself smiling at the memories of the two of them bickering while on the run, finding it had brought a sense of humility to herself to find someone so intent on dragging her out of her shell. They walked together to the courtyard and loaded up the hoverbike. Fang turned back to the metal ruins that were once her home, silent and hesitant. A pale hand grasped her shoulder gently and she turned to find herself looking into Lightning's soft gaze.

"This isn't goodbye Fang, we can come here whenever you like. If it gets too much back in New Bodhum we can both come back here. I won't leave you alone again." The brunette nodded and allowed herself to be led round to the bike.

She decided against side saddle riding for once and hitched up her sari to allow herself to sit properly, which brought her flush up against Lightning. The pinkette paused and allowed herself a moment to get used to the extra weight on the bike, taking a few seconds to marvel at the fact that Fang touching her didn't make her want to punch the woman in reflex like she did with just about anyone else who attempted physical contact. She tensed briefly when Fang slid her arms around her waist to hang on as the soldier kicked the bike into gear and it raised off the ground.

From higher up Oerba looked different. No longer the haunting monument to loss but rather a smaller piece of her past. And if Fang looked back to the pink hair whipping in the wind in front of her, she could see the smallest glimmer of a happier future.

* * *

"Fang? Fang wake up, we're home."

The brunette's eyes fluttered open, disorientated and out of sorts. She blushed when she realised she had managed to fall asleep on Lightning, with her face curled in between her shoulder blades. She slowly peeled herself off her friend's back, feeling mildly embarrassed. If Lightning was bothered by it, she didn't show it.

Fang quietly got off the bike and gathered her things from the storage compartment while Lightning made her way up the stairs to her front porch to unlock the door. She was already inside by the time Fang had sleepily reached the house, and the Pulsian stopped in her tracks when she saw that Lightning was standing in the middle of an empty lounge room.

"What's the go, Light? You get robbed?" she asked while looking around the sparse interior, confused.

"No, I... Shit. I forgot."

"You... Forgot your house is empty?"

Lightning stared hard at the ground, refusing to make eye contact. "Ok so maybe I didn't entirely think this through."

Fang thought back to their conversation in Oerba and frowned as the realization dawned. "Light... You've been... Home, right? Since Serah moved out?"

The pinkette's eye snapped up to meet Fang's before looking away.  _Busted,_ Fang thought to herself. "Light?"

"I just.. It was easier to deal with being alone if I wasn't reminded of it. So I've... Been working. Away. Not.. Here."

Lightning was kicking herself. She invited Fang back to an empty home. All the furniture belonged to Serah, who took it with her once Snow had finished building their home; but not before the elder Farron had assured her that all the furniture would be replaced. But coming home to a cold silent house was too much, especially when she hadn't lived alone before. So she had been staying at the guardian corps barracks or on assignment in the Steppe to distract herself from having to deal with it. In her need to run however, she had unwittingly distanced herself from someone else she cared about, who now stood alongside her in the barren lounge room.

Fang brought her out of her thoughts as she slid a tanned hand into hers. "Looks like I'm not the only one who hasn't adjusted well to life after the war."

Lightning looked down at their hands and raised her eyebrows, as Fang untangled her fingers and stretched in the expanse of the room. "Look at it this way Sunshine, we can start over here. Let's figure out how to get through this weird world together."

The pinkette smiled softly and nodded as she took her friend's belongings to the spare room. She opened the door to the realization that like the rest of house, it was empty and devoid of furniture.

"In retrospect, I really didn't think this through."

"You've at least got a bed, right?" Fang drawled with a raised eyebrow. Lightning rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. Fang had a point though. The only room in her home that was furnished was her own, and even that was minimal.

"I guess we can share tonight, and head out and grab something tomorrow. The bed is big enough for two so it should be fine."

"For two you say? Prepared for a little company hmmm?" Fang jibed and bounced on the spot.

"I  _really_  didn't think this through." Lightning muttered to herself as she entered her room and made a beeline to her wardrobe to change out of her work clothes.

While the pinkette went into the bathroom to change, Fang took a moment to observe her surroundings. It was an impromptu view into a private life of someone she never thought she'd see a skerrick of anything beneath that icy exterior. If anything, it was exactly as she had anticipated from Lightning Farron; all pristine white and basic furnishings. With the exception of a lone crystal rose on her dresser, the last memento of her Eidolon Odin, everything else was blank and lifeless. Even her room would be relegated to a function instead of a space to call home; simply a place to sleep and change clothes and nothing more.

Lightning exited the bathroom with her work clothes in hand, now dressed far more casually in pyjama shorts and an oversized shirt that fell off one shoulder.

"We'll head to town tomorrow and pick up some furniture. That is, if you're up for it of course," the pinkette hastily added at the end. Fang nodded, feeling a little uneasy at the thought of going into town when she lacked the strength. "Or maybe I'll just order whatever and get it delivered to save us the trip."

Lightning dropped the subject and lead Fang back to the kitchen so she could fix the likely starving Pulsian something to eat.

"Serah used to do all the cooking when I was working to make sure I ate, so my skills aren't as up to her level, but I'm told I can make a mean behemoth steak when given the chance." Fang smiled and felt her mouth water a little at the thought of a decent meal. She had to admit she hadn't exactly been taking care of herself since her self-imposed exile.

She watched Lightning prepare the food, and took a moment to take in the level of calm the pinkette was exuding. It felt about as strange to see her in such a casual setting as it did to not be fighting every day. She excused herself to remove her sari and returned as Lightning was plating the meal dressed in a simple black tank top and her shorts she wore under her sari.

"We uh, will have to eat at the bench here Fang." Lightning sighed, frustrated at her lack of foresight. Fang furrowed her brow in thought, and then snapped her fingers.

"I got a better idea Sunshine." Fang vanished from the kitchen, and Lightning could hear her fumbling around at the back of the house. The Pulsian returned carrying her furs over her shoulder, pointing towards the back door off the kitchen. "There a deck out back as well or just the front porch?"

Lightning nodded and followed her outside. There was a fire pit at the base of the stairs which Fang set about lighting. She motioned to her friend to spread the furs out for somewhere to sit.

"Now this. This is more like it." Fang sighed contentedly, sprawling on the ground. The pinkette had to admit this felt more inviting than her empty home. The fire crackled beside them as they ate quietly together. Fang felt like this was the food of the Fal'Cie themselves, it had been that long since she'd allowed herself a decent meal.

"This is nice." Lightning said quietly, as she watched the fire, "Didn't realise how much I needed this... Simplicity. Despite everything going on, when we sat by the fire at the end of the day... I felt at peace. Well, as much as I could anyway."

" _Come back here with that leg 'Nille! I had dibs on it! I hunted it!" Fang yelled at her adoptive sibling. The redhead skipped away with the gorgonopsid hind quarter as soon as Fang finished carving it. They chased each other all over the camp, with the other three men laughing at their antics. Lightning watched them with a sardonic gaze, rolling her eyes at them from the outskirts. She would rather keep an eye out for predators or the pursuing enemy, and not waste time messing around. There was no time to mess around, not with so much at stake._

_She turned her back on the group and focused outward again, towards the Steppe beyond where they had set up camp. Night had fallen, and with her home in the far distance looking incredibly small, she felt uneasy by the sheer expanse before her. To think she spent her life within that tiny shell, sheltered and confined. She suddenly felt agoraphobic at the realisation. There was too much air around her, too much exposure here in the open, too much…_

" _If you look beyond Cocoon, Sunshine... You'll see everything else that's kept hidden from you. Don't focus on what you were trapped in, but instead what you have before you now that you're free."_

_Fang's husky accent drew her attention back with a gasp. How distracted had she been that the Pulsian was able to sneak up on her like that? She scowled at the brunette who shrugged and handed her a bit of cooked gorgonopsid on a scrap of cleaned metal that served as a plate._

" _You haven't eaten yet. I figure if you don't do it now I'll have to go hunting later for seconds 'cos my Lovaa'jin over there would clean up the lot given the chance."_

_Lightning tilted her head at the foreign word. "Loh-vah..yin?" She sounded it out around her tongue as best she could as Fang chuckled._

" _It means 'Little Songbird'. A term of endearment amongst my clan. What, you thought that we all just spoke like you?" The Pulsian asked incredulously with a hand on her hip. Lightning blushed and looked away, embarrassed at the assumption._

_An elbow nudged into her ribs left her coughing on the exhale and Fang laughed. "Don't worry Light, I'm just messin' with ya. I can't read your language as well as I can speak it, but you know. Enough to get by I guess. I meant what I said earlier though. Stop looking at your prison and look at the sky. The real sky. The stars."_

_Lightning turned back to the Steppe, and looked up. Countless lights flickered in and out of her vision across the endless sky. "I… I've never seen stars. They're beautiful." She breathed in awe. She remained silent as Fang started pointing out patterns in the sky, telling her stories about them._

" _That one over there is the Great Hunter, Paddra Yun Dranjen. He was the Patron of my clan and the first to hunt the great King Behemoth that kept our people hiding in caves. He took down the beast who was said to be so large his shadow blocked the sun. So with his death, it brought the light back to the valley, and they used his hide to clothe our ancestors and his bones built the first huts that would be our villages. That's him there, holding the head of the Behemoth. He taught our people how to hunt without disturbing the order and upsetting the God Pulse."_

_A streak of light shot across the sky where Fang was pointing and both of them followed it with their eyes. "Huh. Lucky to see a Wundaa'nyii. A 'fire star'- said to be a soul travelling to where it's needed. Depending on who you spoke to would either be a prosperous or ominous omen. Either way, they're agents of change. Kind of like we are huh?"_

_Lightning simply hummed in response, content to just sit and watch her first night sky._

" _You know, when you see one, you're meant to make a wish and it's meant to come true," Fang said quietly, wringing her hands together. The pinkette spared her a brief glance before looking back in the direction of the horizon where the light had travelled._

" _What did you wish for?" Fang asked. Lightning didn't respond, and continued her vigil in silence._

"To win."

Fang's head snapped up with a questioning look. "Come again?"

"That was what I wished for that night on the steppe. To beat our focus, so we could come home. Whatever home entailed for us, wherever we wound up."

Fang glanced back into the empty house. "Light… I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier, back in Oerba. You probably understand what I'm going through better than anyone." Lightning looked away from the fire to see it reflected in fierce green eyes. "You may not have been fighting a war from the moment you could run Sunshine, but with everything you've been through with your family, with Serah, you may as well have been."

Lightning shrugged and poked at what was left of her food on her plate. "It's ok. Sometimes I forget about where you and Vanille came from, and that you're more than half a millennium old…"

"Hey! I'll have you know I look damn good for my age missy." Fang retorted as she threw a vegetable at Lightning which was deftly avoided. The smile on her friend's face allowed a warmth to trickle through her skin, and it wasn't from the fire. "I... Thank you, Light. It means a lot that you travelled all that way to make sure I was ok."

The pinkette smiled and reached over to squeeze Fang's shoulder, and brushed her fingers down the tanned arm as she retracted her hand. The Pulsian watched her own skin prickle in response and suppressed a shiver.

They spent the rest of the meal casually chatting about the settlements that were popping up since Fang went into crystal sleep for the second time, how they'd banded together to ensure Oerba was left alone, what the others were up to until the fire burned low and Lightning let a yawn escape.

"Come on, let's pack up and head to bed. I'll take the floor in the spare room. These furs are comfy enough. I can be a bit of a handsy sleeper from all the years sharing a bed with Vanille so I won't subject you to that." Lightning frowned at the thought of Fang sleeping on the floor in an empty room, but by the same token wasn't entirely on board with being smothered in her sleep by Pulsian limbs. She helped Fang get set up in the room with a promise of getting something more substantial in the morning, and they bade each other goodnight.

"Hey, Light?" Fang called out before the pinkette retreated to her own room. She stuck her head back out into the hallway with a questioning look.

"I wished for a place to come home to as well."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should be in bed. Probably in bed. It's a work-night and also midnight so definitely should be in bed. But I stumbled upon a new band and have been listening to the same three tracks over and over because they're amazing. You know what that's like, right? I'm really bad at being an adult. So fuck it, yet another chapter.

" _Salvation is borne of sacrifice… Miracles of misery… from shattered shards a new crystal legend shall arise!"_

_Can't breathe. Such pain. The others… Cie'th… Gone… I'll kill him… I'll…_

" _Despair. Despair and save us all!"_

_Body wracked with pain. Rage. Fire. I've failed… I've failed and lost them all._

_They're gone. They're all gone and it's because of me. I am powerless. I can't save them. I can't… I…_

" _Fang!"_

_Light..? But you're…_

" _Fang wake up! Fang!"_

_Gone… I've lost you…_

"Fang!" Lightning shook the Pulsian frantically by the shoulders, silently praying to Etro that she'd wake up. The ear-piercing scream of agony had woken the pinkette with a panicked start and she raced into the spare room to find her friend thrashing amongst the furs. "Come on, wake up, it's not real!"

"NO!" Fang screamed and sat bolt upright from her spot on the floor, reaching out to fend off whatever demons she was facing in her sleep.

"Hey, hey it's ok. It's ok Fang. It was only a dream. Come on now… Just breathe… You're here, you're safe... Just breathe…" Lightning moved behind Fang and wrapped her arms around her from behind to keep out of reach of her clawing limbs. She whispered assurances in her ear repeatedly to try to get her to calm down.

"L..Light?" Fang rasped in a panicked voice, still disoriented and trying to get her bearings. "Wh-what… Where.. Light.. No.."

"It's ok, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here." She ran a hand through the brunette's hair, getting the damp locks out of her face. Fang turned around and clutched at Lightning's face, as if to prove to herself she was real. She tried desperately to calm her hammering heart, to still her racing breath. The pinkette pulled her into a tight hug, and Fang buried herself in the crook of the pale neck while she struggled to regain composure.

"Etro… I was… back there… so… So real… I thought I'd… Lost you again… Lost all of you…"

"You haven't Fang. You won't lose any of us."

They sat in silence for some time, with the pinkette refusing to let the Fang go. She brushed the dark hair with her fingers, letting her nails run along the Pulsian's scalp. How long had this been going on for? How long had this been carried within her? It wouldn't be beyond the realm of reason that this wasn't just about the War of Revelations, but her time before as well. Lightning sighed and kept a hold of her friend, trying not to let the guilt overwhelm her. That she had allowed herself to get such distance between... No, she couldn't think like that. That line of thinking wouldn't end anywhere productive.

"Fang," she asked after she felt the brunette finally relax in her arms, "Do you have nightmares often?"

The brunette hung her head and sighed. "Only... Every night since I came back."

"I see. Come on. You're coming with me." Lightning stood and pulled her friend up by the hands with barely a squawk of protest from her. She led Fang into the bedroom and pushed her onto the bed. "No more chivalrous crap. Get under the covers and go to sleep where I can keep an eye on you."

Fang awkwardly clambered into bed and pulled the thick covers over her. She could feel the warmth of Lightning lying next to her, and was very aware of her presence. She stared at the ceiling, feeling a little lost and unsure of herself considering that she'd unwillingly subjected her friend to two breakdowns in one night. She felt uncomfortable by the notion that she had to have someone "keep an eye on her", but at least that someone was a stoic soldier who hadn't once passed judgement on any of her behaviours. Still, how far had she fallen into the pit of despair that someone as ice cold as Lightning Farron was showing care?

Lightning shifted around, facing towards the Pulsian. "It's no different to when we were up near the Springs, isn't it? I can tell you're still awake, Fang. Just clear your mind and go to sleep. The world will-"

_"-Still be there tomorrow," Fang called out to the stoic soldier who had refused to budge from her place by the edge of their camp._ _Teeth chattering in her head, Lightning pulled her cape around her to stay warm. Sulyya was certainly a beautiful sight during the day, but once the sun fell below the horizon it turned into a freezer, with the water bringing an icy chill to the platform they had climbed to in order to make camp away from the amphibious wildlife._

_The others had taken up residence by the fire, pairing off to stay warm. Snow had taken off his large trench coat and covered himself and Hope with it, as had Sazh and his large pilot's jacket with Vanille. That only left Fang, who was currently staring hard at her from across their meagre fire._

" _You don't need to stay up on watch love, the lizards can't climb, and the birds can't get through the caves to get here. We're safe, and you need sleep. You look freezing."_

" _I'm f-f-fine." Lightning responded through gritted teeth. Fang raised an eyebrow at her, looking entirely unconvinced._

" _Yep, looking real fine." Fang drawled, as she got up and started to disrobe. She carefully took her sari off and unfurled it a little more to give them a makeshift blanket. Lightning reluctantly staggered over to the brunette, her limbs locked from the cold. She unbuttoned her cape and placed it over the top of the sari so it would lay across them both. The pinkette took a moment for a wayward thought to float through her mind about the complementary colours, and laid down close to Fang. The cape only barely covered their top halves - the sari only slightly more than that - and Lightning shivered against the ground._

" _Etro, Light. It's like you've never had to bunk before. They never teach you about sharing body warmth back at your army school or whatever?"_

" _We never… Had to worry about weather like… This… Fal'Cie saw to it." Lightning growled as she watched the mist dance in the air from her own breath. "Besides, shouldn't you be sharing with Vanille?"_

_Fang rolled her eyes at the stubborn woman beside her and grabbed her around the waist to pull her in close. Lightning had to suppress a squeak as she was dragged over, and held her breath as she internally fought against the extremely close proximity of another person. Beyond Serah, she'd never let anyone within arm's length since her parents died, let alone within a breath of each other. "We all figured that if you shared with Snow he'd be food for Bismarck, Hope would probably die of shock and Sazh just said 'no way am I sleeping next to someone that's always on a hair trigger. I'll get my head cut off if I snore'. Which leaves your two resident locals, and Vanille doesn't have enough warmth in her to melt that ice that you're made of. So I volunteered." She said, punctuating the last few words deliberately and ran her tongue along her bottom lip. The pinkette's eyes darted down to follow it's path, her heartbeat quickening._

" _Just relax Sunshine… It's not going to help your muscles staying tense like that, and that will lead to you making mistakes on the field. I'm not going to bite. At least, not when the others are around.." Fang dared to chance a once over of Lightning's form with a sly grin. The glare she received in return was palpable._ _Lightning rolled over uncomfortably until she was facing away from Fang, but that only served to have her pulled flush against the Pulsian. She held her breath when she realised the tanned hand hadn't moved from her stomach and was even beginning to trail gentle circles across her skin. Her heart sped up whenever Fang was looking at her, and had been doing it ever since Palumpolum._

" _I can tell you're still awake, Lightning. Just clear your mind and go to sleep."_

_Being pressed up against the Pulsian who had a surprising amount of warmth wasn't helping her clear her mind any, but the patterns Fang was drawing on her with her nails was making her sleepy at least. She found herself focusing on the tanned arm she found around her waist, resting across her stomach. It felt comforting in a strange way; that maybe for once someone was there to look out for her so she didn't have to._

_The world will still be there in the morning. Goddess she hopes so._

* * *

The early dawn had sunlight creep slowly through the gaps in the curtains, which drew Lightning into awareness. The first thing she noticed was how warm she was, and how she'd managed to have a solid night sleep for the first time in ages. She was still half asleep when she realised that there was an additional weight on her chest, and when she opened her eyes she saw the wild hair in her vision and froze. Fang- true to her word- was pulled up close to Lightning; limbs intertwined with her head pressed into her chest.

She felt herself unconsciously reaching out to touch the brunette's unkempt hair as she felt Fang nestle further into her. Lightning inhaled sharply and the nuzzling stopped mid-movement, however, and the soldier knew she was awake.

"Uh. Morning, Light." She mumbled from her spot in the pinkette's cleavage. "This... This is awkward isn't it?"

"Yep."

Fang delicately extracted herself from Lightning's chest and coughed nervously. "I am... So sorry..."

Lightning shrugged from where she lay and allowed herself a moment to sit up to stretch before getting out of bed. Fang's mouth went dry watching the arch of the pinkette's spine and she spun around to face the window to save what little dignity she had left, lest she be caught gawking. She heard the woman get out of bed and turned to find a very still sleepy and grumpy looking Farron.

"Hey Light, I just wanted to apo-mmph!" Fang was cut off mid-sentence by Lightning's fingers over her mouth. She stared wide-eyed at the pinkette who was now upright but still had her eyes half closed.

"Shut up. Coffee first."

After a very silent breakfast, Lightning excused herself to go have a shower and get changed. Fang already looked better after a night with her, but that wasn't to say she was out of the woods yet. She recalled the expression on the tanned face when she groggily opened her eyes that morning; smooth and surprisingly peaceful, and not the permanent scowl that had fixed itself to Fang's face since she awoke for the second time from crystal stasis.

She felt like her lower abdomen was doing flips when she thought about how they woke up together, and she was troubled that she wanted to do it again. Lightning thought back to what the Pulsian had told her at the barracks a few weeks ago, about her penchant for bedding members of the same sex. It wasn't unheard of for the pinkette; Cocoon's pampered lifestyle meant that people didn't tend to have much emphasis on relationship expectations. It wasn't common, but wasn't entirely unheard of. She was always working so never spared much thought beyond a few hookups in training and a date or three in high school. Perhaps the reason Lightning spluttered that day was more because it meant that Fang wasn't entirely messing around with her flirtations during their journey. Though given their brief history before the Fall, she couldn't honestly say she was surprised.

_Aboard the Palamecia, Lightning and the others were fighting through squad after squad of Psicom military feeling like they'd made little progress. Fang was focused and ploughing through them like they were nothing but flecks of dust. Her rage was substantial and her fighting fierce. At one point they had split up with Snow and Hope taking one track in an attempt to divide the enemy numbers, which had helped a little but not enough to stem the tide._

_The two women had paused in an alcove for a breather while alarms blared all around them. A small bottle was thrust into Lightning's face from the Pulsian, wiggling it a little in offering. She reluctantly took it and drank the contents, noticing Fang's eyes raking over her form._

" _What?" She asked, lowering the bottle with suspicion. The Pulsian grinned slyly and shrugged._

" _Nothin' much. Just thinking about how beautiful the view is up here."_

_Lightning's eyes narrowed and she tossed the bottle back. "We're not here to admire the view aboard the airship Fang, we're here to get Sazh and Vanille, and get out."_

_Fang's quiet laughter was just barely audible over the hum of the engines and the blaring alarm. She peered out from the corner to check if the coast was clear, and Lightning walked past her into the open to continue on. Keen ears honed from years of battlefield and hunting heard another approaching squad, however, and Fang gripped Lightning by the wrist and pulled her back into the recess._

" _What are you d-!" Fang placed a hand over her mouth to silence her with a fierce gaze. She pressed up against her close as the Psicom operatives raced past, still and unmoving._

" _Where are they? The security footage had them coming down this corridor!"_

_Lightning went to reach for her weapon but Fang shook her head, and slowly took her hand away from the pinkette's mouth, bringing a finger up to her own lips as a reminder to stay quiet. Moments passed that felt like hours as the Psicom soldiers checked their surroundings before moving on._

_Both women were breathing heavily from adrenaline, still pressed up against one another. Lightning felt tense and uncomfortable; not because of the close proximity of the Pulsian per se, but more that her body wasn't reflexively punching her for the physical contact. Her skin heated at the feeling of Fang's arms either side of her that pinned her in place against the wall in the shadows. She felt the tall woman's leg in between her own and swallowed hard._ _Fang leant back a little to peek out of their hiding spot, then smiled as she turned back to the pinkette._

_"So," She drawled with another indulgent and appreciative gaze, "Come here often?"_

_Getting back to business, Lightning gathered her wits about her and shoved her back. The Pulsian had been pushing her buttons since they met in Palumpolum, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to punch her or-_

Lightning stilled her thoughts as she finished getting changed, her phone ringing providing an ample distraction from her contemplation. "Rygdea, what's up?"

"Hey, pinky!" He cheered down the phone. Lightning winced and pulled the phone away from her ear with a scowl. "Patrol reported you came back last night with your Pulsian friend in tow. Is Fang with you at your place? One of the boys found something on a mission we want her to have a look at."

"Now's not really a good time…" The pinkette trailed off as she walked into the lounge room to find Fang sitting on the ground before the large window to the deck. She was humming to herself as she sat with a straight back and arms resting on her legs. The melody was almost haunting in its long notes and Fang's husky voice echoed off the walls of the empty room. Lightning couldn't help but stare, the Pulsian still hadn't changed and was still in nothing but her tight black shorts and the matching bra that she wore beneath her sari.

"You there pinky?" Rygdea's voice chirped down the phone, startling Lightning and making her juggle the phone for a moment. She cursed as she caught it again and pulled it back up to her ear, seeing Fang turn her head slightly and watch her from the corner of her eye.

"Yes. I am here. Like I said, now isn't a good time I… I have to go furniture shopping today." Laughter rang from the man and she knew it was a poor excuse. He paused mid-breath however and grew silent.

"Wait… Furniture… Amodar told me your sister moved out months ago! Don't tell me you still haven't fixed your place up, Light?"

Lightning winced at Rygdea's tone as Fang stood and started moving into stretches, once more drawing the pinkette's gaze back to her. "I've… been busy…" She offered weakly, feeling like her eyes were about to fall out of her head when Fang bent forward to touch her toes and stretch out her calves. She was beginning to think that it was less a poor time for interruptions for Fang, and more about interruptions for her.

"Tell you what- We've gotta make a run back to Cocoon today, let me come bring this thing over the boys found, and we'll go swing past your old place in Bodhum and see if we can salvage anything to save you some cash. Text me your address up there and we'll be back by the evening."

He hung up before she could protest, and she lowered her phone and stared at it blankly for a moment. A shadow cast over the screen, and she rose her eyes to meet Fang smiling at her. "Sounds like he had you over a barrel there love."

"He's… going to do me a favour in return for getting you to have a look at an artefact his team found on a patrol. I tried to tell him to go away because you're… not up for visitors." She replied, averting her gaze. Tanned fingers drew her phone out of her hands and closed it slowly, green eyes never leaving her face.

"I'm not a complete social invalid at this point Sunshine, I can see what his patrol found without collapsing in a screaming heap," Fang said sadly, a hurt expression on her face.

"That's not what I-" Lightning cut herself off as she gripped Fang's arm suddenly. "I didn't mean it like…. I'm sorry I…" She suddenly stopped, took a deep breath and hung her head. "I'm sorry. I just… Got you back."

The Pulsian raised an eyebrow at her demeanour, the notorious ice queen reduced to stumbling over her own tongue in a panic. Fang sighed with a shake of her head, realising that her friend was speaking from a place of care and not doubt. While it was still a little frustrating, she knew that the soldier had a point. Clapping her hand on the pinkette's arm, she waited until the darting cerulean eyes settled down and made eye contact again.

"You've got me Light, I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Vanille had come over that night as well along with Rygdea to check in on her sister, and she would admit with a tiny amount of curiousity over his squad's find. The two Pulsians stared at each other for a moment before the redhead leapt forward and crushed her sibling in a hug. Fang wrapped her arms around her and held Vanille's head close. "I am so sorry missy.." She whispered into her hair.

"No, I'm sorry Fang. I should have noticed sooner... I should have…" Vanille was hushed as they continued to embrace, before finally letting each other go. Fang still held onto her sister by the shoulders and smiled.

"You'll make me so proud in Academia, you know that right?"

They continued talking for a while as Lightning watched on, barely listening to a word Rygdea was saying to her in the interim. He snapped his fingers in front of her face and copped a reflex punch in the chest as a response.

"Sorry. You should know by now not to do that."

The Calvary leader rubbed his chest and coughed. "Yeah, no shit. Anyway, we couldn't salvage much that unfortunately hasn't been looted but you've at least got a table, chairs and a couch now, it's a start. The boys picked up a TV and a coffee table for you as thanks for the hospitality in town."

Lightning shrugged and clasped her hand on his shoulder. "It's saved me some time and, you know. Nice to have some of my stuff back. Thanks." Their attention drew back to the hushed conversation the Pulsian siblings were having. Fang's eyes darted up to meet the pinkette's cerulean gaze, wide and intense.

" _Senechi,_ 'Nille!" She hissed at her sister, willing her to be quiet.

" _Ni'id_  Fang!  _Raa zen fehat'xu…_  I've been reading up on it, it makes the most sense considering what you've been through."

The brunette scowled at Vanille, folding her arms in a defensive gesture. "There's nothing wrong with my head 'Nille, aside from the few screws loose I'm-"

"I swear to Etro I will hit you if you tell me you're fine. There's nothing  _wrong_  if you are with  _fehat'xu_  Fang... It just means we at least have a path we can take to get you well. Don't fall into the same trap of our ancestors when you can be well right here, right now, with us. Promise me you'll try."

Fang sagged her shoulders and sighed. "I'll try 'Nille. I can only try. Oi, Sparkles- what's this thing you and the boys had to show me?" She called out behind her to the two soldiers observing the exchange. Lightning's eyebrows rose and she stared at Rygdea.

"… Sparkles?"

He shrugged as he fished out a case from his bag. "It was her way of trying to get me to stop calling her girly. It didn't work."

The Pulsians came over to inspect the engraved case, with the brunette's tanned fingers running over the surface. "It looks like it's from the Rayn Clan 'Nille, what do you think?" Vanille nodded and fiddled with a few of the engravings until she heard a click and the top come loose.

"Definitely Rayn." She muttered as she opened the lid, eyes widening as the others leant over. Fang took one look at the contents and cursed.

"Bloody scribes, always have to be writing shit down. Didn't they get the message about not transcribing maps?"

Lightning looked at the small roll inside with interest. "A map? I thought you said the clans prohibited them so they don't wind up in the wrong hands."

"Yeah, it's in pieces and encoded though so at least that's something. It'll take a while to decipher. Hey 'Nille, you think I could hang onto it and decode it? It'll give me something… Else… To think about. Keep me busy, you know?" The redhead thought about it for a moment and nodded. She closed the case again and showed her sister the engravings that hid the locking mechanisms, and then put it down on the nearby bench. "That is of course if it's ok with you Rygdea.." She added. He shrugged and advised it wasn't his property to keep, but if they could make any sense out of it to pass the info on to the Guardian Corps. Lightning fixed up coffees for everyone and a tea for Vanille, as the general consensus was that she was hyper enough and didn't need the encouragement. She watched Fang as she talked with her sibling and Rygdea, the brunette seemed a little calmer now that she had patched things up with her sister.

After Vanille had promised to check in with them before she left for Academia in a few days and took her leave with Rygdea, Lightning and Fang settled in once more for the evening. Not even taking chances, the pinkette just gestured to her room with a quirk of her eyebrow. They still didn't have a spare bed and after last night's disturbed rest, she'd rather put up with Fang sharing a bed than being woken and spending half the night crouched on the ground trying to calm her down. The Pulsian ducked her head, still feeling a little embarrassed but grateful that her friend cared. They laid in bed side by side, both staring up at the ceiling deep in thought.

"Hey, Fang?" Lightning called out, "What was that earlier you were discussing with Vanille? Seemed important."

There was a noticed hesitation before responding. "It wasn't… too important… what makes you say that?"

Lightning turned over and could just faintly make out the brunette's profile. "Because when you don't want me to know something you always switch to speaking in your native language."  _Busted_.. Fang thought to herself. She fidgeted and played with the edges of the quilt, unsure of how to respond. "What did Vanille mean when she said you were. With… Feh-hart zoo?" The Pulsian winced at the terrible pronunciation and turned to face Lightning as well.

" _F_ _ehat'xu_ _…_ It means… hm. 'Endless battle' is I suppose the closest I can come to translating it. Some of the warriors in our village had it. If they made it into their old age which was rare, most if not all would suffer from it. It was like their minds were always still in the thick of it, in the heat of battle, and they couldn't switch off from it. They'd be in two places at once- wherever they were in the village, but at the same time reliving something on the field."

Lightning reached out in the darkness to find Fang's hand and clasped it gently. "What you're describing is post-traumatic stress, Fang."

"So you vipers have a name for it too huh?" The woman chuckled. Lightning squeezed her hand and smiled despite herself.

"I did some research on it while you were in stasis… Because of um… Similar symptoms." Fang had better night vision than the pinkette and could see her take a shuddering breath and close her eyes. "Maybe we can… help each other through it. Neither of us are alone, not anymore." Lightning opened her eyes and searched for Fang in the dark. She could just make out her eyes.

"We will Sunshine. We will."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I have been to the dentist and can't feel my face. Therefore, CHAPTER. Honestly I don't know how the two equate I guess I just like writing or something.

At some point during the night, Fang was once more having fitful sleep. Lightning awoke again to the Pulsian twitching and mumbling in her sleep, face contorted in pain. She rolled over and pulled the woman close, whispering in her ear to comfort her.

" _Is this the price I pay for duty? All my friends gone, turned to Cie'th. After everything we went through, it was all for nothing."_

Fang braced for the inevitable impact from the cold stone her friends had become as she did every time she was trapped in this nightmare, but it didn't come. Instead, gentle hands slipped around her waist and she was met with the scent of sweet roses that she had learnt to associate with Lightning.

" _It's ok Fang, none of this is real."_

" _Light? What are you_ … _? How are you_ … _?"_

The pinkette turned Fang away from the looming Fal'Cie and pressed her forehead to hers.  _"Just focus on my voice Fang, come back to me. This place can't hurt you anymore. Focus on anything else but this place. Focus on my voice. Focus on me."_

Their surroundings shifted until they were no longer in Orphan's chamber but on the fields in the Archylte Steppe. The two women stood in the open, still holding onto each other. Lightning leant forward and kissed the brunette on the forehead in a surprisingly affectionate gesture that felt vividly real.

Fang's eyes snapped open to find Lightning's lips were in fact where she was dreaming them. She suppressed a gasp and feigned sleep so as not to startle her friend. Fang felt the pinkette run a thumb over her eyebrows in an attempt to smooth out the frowns and the Pulsian couldn't stop the contented hum from escaping her throat.

"That's better." Lightning whispered as she smiled at her with a soft gaze, "I won't let them hurt you anymore. "

Fang fell back to sleep, not haunted by nightmares for the first time in a long time. She began to suspect why when she awoke the next morning to find herself once again tangled up close with Lightning. She chanced a look at the pinkette who was just as curled up into her and felt her heart skip a beat. It wouldn't be the first time that Fang had harboured feelings for the woman before her, but it was the first time she felt something more than infatuation.

From the first time she saw Lightning, the Pulsian was enthralled. As she sped around the plaza on the back of Snow's bike watching the pinkette take on an entire squad of Psicom operatives, Fang admitted there were a fair few inappropriate thoughts that entered her mind. Lightning was focused, determined and confident in her skills. When she fought, Fang didn't just witness Lightning; she witnessed the whole storm.

But this side of Lightning she had never seen before. Beyond the overprotective nature towards her sister, Fang was surprised to see that same fierce protectiveness directed towards her. It made her giddy and she leant into snuggle the pinkette with a contented sigh. The sound and accompanying sensation of Fang nuzzling into her woke Lightning once more, but not in the same startling way as the night before. She had expected it, and a part of her even welcomed it.

She wasn't certain of where the Pulsian woman's feelings lay in regards to her, but Lightning knew there was something more than friendship growing between them. What that meant for Fang, and herself for that matter, however, was anyone's guess.

* * *

"Come on Fang you gotta come out of that booth at some point!" Snow called out to the Pulsian who had hidden away in the corner of Lebreau's bar. It was Vanille's farewell before her trip to Academia, so by all rights, Fang should be in the thick of the celebrations. Instead, she felt edgy and nervous about being in a room with so many people between her and the nearest exits. Lightning was running late from work, but she promised she'd make an appearance. Until then, Fang was staying put. Vanille ran over and leapt onto the seat next to her, wrapping her arms around the brunette's neck.

"Faaaaaaang you should be out on the floor with us!"

"I can see you just fine from here love. Go on, go dance with your friends. I'm just waiting for Lightning." Vanille smiled with a knowing look, humming with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "Be gone demon child!" Fang yelled at her giggling sibling as the redhead finally skipped off, disappearing into the crowd. The Pulsian sighed and started circling the glass with her finger. Lightning should have been here by now. The longer the evening went on, the more agitated Fang became. 

The others came over and sat at the booth for a while to keep her company. Vanille knew that her adopted sibling wasn't dealing well with the crowded establishment, so brought Serah, Snow and Hope over to check up on her. The redhead slid into the booth and rested her head on the tall, tattooed shoulder. "Are... You going to be ok while I'm away, Fang?"

The elder Pulsian nodded and lightly hugged Vanille. "I'll be alright missy. You'll see. Lightning has… Been a huge help tightening those loose screws." Fang excused herself from the group for a moment to go fetch herself another drink.

She approached the bar and waved Lebreau over. "Hey gorgeous, where's your partner in crime tonight?" Fang shrugged and just pushed her empty glass back over the bar for a refill.

"Just put it in there love, save you the washing up."

The dark-haired bar owner smiled and took the glass with a swish of her hand. "Always know the right things to say to make a girl's heart flutter don't you darling?" Fang chuckled and hung her head to hide her grimace as she tried to drown out the din around her.

"What you drinkin' girly?" a voice called out behind her. Fang turned with a smile, ready for a sarcastic retort for the often annoying Rygdea, but it died in her throat when she realised it wasn't him but someone else entirely. A drunk who reeked of sweat and poor choices. Her expression fell and she turned back to the bar.

"For one tonight mate, best you move along." She called over her shoulder, hoping he'd get the message.

She nodded in thanks as Lebreau finished fixing her refill. "Come on girly, let me buy you a drink. I'm feeling charitable." The drunken brute was obviously not taking the hint.

"I'll pass. Thank you. Enjoy your evening."

"Come on buddy you heard the lady, move along." Snow yelled out from nearby, standing up from their booth. Fang shook her head and signalled for him sit back down. She paid Lebreau for her drink and moved to return to her seat when a dirty hand landed on her shoulder.

"Why you being such a stuck up bitch?" the drunk man whined, "jus' wanna buy you a drink and you're acting like you're too good for me ACK-"

His voice was cut off by pale fingers crushing his hand and pulling his arm slowly back off Fang's shoulder. "Unless you're deaf, she has told you to leave her be twice now. I suggest you do it before sore fingers are the least of your concerns." An icy voice growled as Lightning stepped into view. The pinkette threw his arm from Fang, causing him to stagger backwards and fall over. Once Lightning was satisfied he was going to keep his distance, she turned to her friend who was smiling warmly at her.

"Thanks for the assist Sunshine, was beginning to think he needed to eat my fist to get the point." If Fang wasn't agitated before, she definitely was now. The drunken lout didn't appear to be finished, staggering to his feet.

"Waitaminute… I recognise you now that your  _girlfriend_  is here... You're one of them L'Cie freaks aren't you? Should have all burned in the purge and we wouldn't be living in this hell. Ugh. L'Cie. Shoulda killed youse when we had the chance. Without the Fal'Cie, there's no other way to use them."

Vanille's head snapped up at the man's eerily familiar words as Fang clutched at her arm with a grunt of pain.

" _The only reason they take care of orphans is so they can become L'cie. There is no other way to use them." The priest sneered at the brunette, as he brutally revealed the truth of their village. "You're nothing but a fool. You couldn't even read the true intentions of those who took care of you."_

" _You son of a-" Fang lurched forward, grabbing the knife from the priest's belt and moved to stab him in a rage._

" _No! Fang!" Vanille's voice cried out as she reached for her sister._

" _Come on Fang, he ain't worth it." Snow's giant arms wrapped around her to hold her back from the snivelling priest on the floor. Confused, the brunette staggered back and turned to stare at her tall Cocoonian friend in disbelief._

" _How are you here? Wait, this isn't_ … _"_

Fang looked around to see she wasn't in the temple in Oerba but the bar amongst friends in New Bodhum. Her hand stung from the glass she had smashed and was gripping a shard so tightly it had cut into her skin.

Lightning motioned quietly for Snow to release her, and she asked Lebreau to call her office to send someone for the drunk. "Consider your days in our town done, asshole." She growled at the whimpering idiot on the floor who had just come close to a brush with death from Ragnarok. The pinkette turned to Fang and gently ran her fingers down her arm until they reached her hand, and gently pried her fingers away from the glass.

"Come on out back love, let's get that cleaned up." Lebreau whispered at Lightning's side, and they retreated to the kitchen. Vanille and Serah followed shortly after but stayed by the doorway to not crowd the place.

Lebreau gave Lightning a cloth the clean up the wound while she went hunting for the medic kit, and the pinkette was as gentle as she could possibly be. "Where'd you go earlier?" she said quietly, so as not to startle the Pulsian.

Fang winced as the dabbing stung her wounds and she looked away with a set jaw. "Oerba. Temple. Something he said. No other use…" She ground out her words between her clenched teeth, heart rate through the roof and breathing heavy.

"You remembered those priests didn't you?" Vanille called out from the doorway with a sad note to her voice. Fang merely nodded.

"Did… Did I kill them 'Nille?"

The redhead looked away, remembering the fateful day herself. "Not all of them. You got a few though. You were intent on taking on the Fal'Cie itself to stop anyone else being made into a L'Cie. You even attempted to stab Anima with the spear."

Fang took a shuddering breath. Even though it was no longer there, the spot on her arm where her brand once resided burned, as it did any time a memory was triggered in relation to Ragnarok. It made her more terrified that the beast still lay within her, and she felt tears prick at her eyes.

"Vanille, Serah, could you give us a minute please?" Lightning asked without turning. The girls both nodded and left to check on Snow, who had been watching over the drunk while they waited for the Guardian Corps to arrive to arrest him. "I know that you don't like having witnesses around when you're like this." Lightning whispered, her hands hovering over the wound. Fang looked over at her and felt relieved. "Shame we aren't L'Cie anymore really, could have this fixed up super… Quick…" The pinkette trailed off as the Pulsian looked at her with a quizzical expression.

Lightning felt a strange tickling in the back of her mind, the same she felt whenever she would use magic back while they were on the run. Whether it was just phantom sensations or something more she wasn't sure, but felt like testing the theory anyway. Fang saw the concentration on her friend's face and smiled. "Pretty sure that you're tapped out there, Sunshine."

"Shut up. I'm just… Checking… Shut up." Both their eyes widened as a tiny dull green glow began to emanate from Lightning's fingertips.

"No fucking way..." Fang breathed, astonished at the reality defying scene unfolding before them. "But… We're not…" she watched with fascination as the glow increased as the pinkette's brow furrowed. The wound started to close and her tanned skin began to knit back together as Lightning strained to finish healing her. It was never this hard when they were L'Cie, the magic flowed like water. This was like half frozen molasses being forced through a thin tube.

As the last layer of skin webbed over Lightning slumped forward with exhaustion, resting her head against Fang's shoulder as the Pulsian caught her. "Light... How did you…"

"Not sure," the pinkette gasped between breaths, "Just… Really wanted to fix that cut."

"Claire! What happened?" Serah's voice rang out from the doorway as the younger Farron rushed towards her sister.

Lightning drew her finger gently over Fang's palm where there was now no trace of injury. "I fixed it. I wanted Fang to be healed, so I did it." She replied matter-of-factly, suddenly overwhelmed with tiredness.

"You… Used magic? How is that…?"

"Don't know, don't say anything. Not until I'm sure of what it means."

Glancing down at Fang's hand, Lightning realised she was still drawing patterns in the tanned palm. The Pulsian hadn't said anything, but every now and again a barely audible murmur of contentment would escape her throat and her eyes fluttered closed. She filed that away for the next time she woke up to Fang having nightmares again.

"Lebreau? Mind if we leave via the back door? I'd like to get Fang home without having her questioned by the GC."

The bartender reappeared, medic kit in hand and looked at the now uninjured hand. "Riiiiiight… Looks like this won't be needed," she held up a hand when Lightning looked to interject, "And please. I didn't see anything, now get out of here before I make you do dishes to replace the broken glass." Lebreau went back out the front to keep the GC away from them.

The pinkette gave her thanks and gave her sister a brief hug. "Tell the others to come over later?" Serah nodded and exited the kitchen, leaving the two women alone. "Come on, let's get out of here and head home Fang, enough excitement for one night I think."

They walked home slowly after sneaking out the back of Lebreau's bar, and the Pulsian looked down to find Lightning walking with a mild limp. "You ok Sunshine?" She asked, pointing at the area of concern.

"Hm? Oh. Right. Forgot about that with everything that happened at the bar. Reason I was running late." Lightning replied with a wince, and stopped to rest a moment. "Got caught in a nest of gorgonopsids. Nothing I couldn't handle I just… was distracted and thinking about something as I was finishing up and… slipped."

Fang's eyebrows raised higher than imaginable. "You  _slipped_? You. Major Lightning Farron, fastest on her feet alive, slipped. What could you have possibly been thinking about to cause that fumble?"

 _More like who_ … The pinkette thought with a scowl. "Nothing. Not important. Shut up."

They continued walking on in silence, with Fang looking out to sea and back towards the crystal pillar holding up Cocoon in the distance. She drew a shaky breath and turned to find Lightning watching her. "Do you think… If you were able to call up healing magic that… other powers we were given as L'Cie could still be floating around in here?"

Lightning knew immediately what she was referring to and put a hand on the Pulsian's shoulder. "Not a chance. Besides, that took an incredible amount of effort to heal that small injury on your hand and now I feel like I could go home and sleep for a week. I don't want to even fathom the amount of focus it would require to summon Ragnarok."

"Am I that transparent?" Fang asked with a sigh. The pinkette shrugged and continued walking.

"Don't worry Fang. I won't let that happen to you again." Lightning watched the contemplative look on the Pulsian's face. "Want to talk about what you saw back there?"

The brunette grimaced and huffed out a breath. "We were… Back in the temple back when… We were branded. Bunch of showmanship bullshit. Lots of prayers and steps and more prayers. Didn't go as planned. The priests tried to kill me, I reacted and killed a few of them, aaand then Vanille took the fall for my actions. Offered herself as a sacrifice to atone for my sins. So she got branded alongside of me. Pretty sure the only reason they didn't say screw it and kill us was because of the damn oracle drive."

Lightning looked at her blankly. "Oracle… Drive?"

"Yeah. Device that if any of your historians find will probably make them have a heart attack on the spot. Managed to record any visions from the appointed Nsu clan Seeress, and I heard somewhere down the line before the 'big crack' that we were mentioned in one.  _Two l'Cie are they, the Chosen, and from the North they hail. Endowed are they with fal'Cie Focus, to bear the burden of the Beast._ Bunch of  _Falak'nara_ , the lot of them."

"I'm… going to assume that's an insult."

Fang nodded and continued. "I won't bother with the translation, but use your imagination. It's colourful. But yeah. I was next in line to be branded, and Vanille was with me for the 'send off' so to speak. But you know, I wanted to have a word with Anima and… Voice my concerns with his plans to continuously brand us to fight against Cocoon, to die or turn Cie'th. I wanted our lives back, I wanted it to get up off its mechanical arse and do something more than just send us all to our deaths."

Lightning thought back to her meeting with Anima and shook her head. "You know Snow did the same thing when we were in the vestige? Wanted to go and talk to it, convince it to give Serah back."

"No Kidding?" Fang laughed thinking of the image. "Bet you followed him in there to knock his block off for being so crazy." When Lightning didn't respond she laughed harder. Fang took a breath and silenced herself when she saw the look on the pinkette's face. "Shit. Sorry love. Those were… Rough times for you weren't they?"

The soldier gave Fang a shrug. "Sometimes it's funny, other times it... Hurts. Especially in light of Serah being gone now. She was my only family after our parents died, all I had left. I worked so hard to provide for her, to be the responsible one I was too busy to be there for her when she needed me the most. Now she's gone all over again." Fang frowned, and then moved up to the pinkette to wrap her arms around her from behind.

"You haven't lost her Sunshine," She said, whispering in Lightning's ear, "She's still here. Just a few doors down. Besides, you've got me to worry about now right? You can fuss over me any time." Fang released her hold on Lightning as the woman blushed and looked away.

"I guess I do have you now, don't I..." She said quietly to herself.

"And come on Light, you really want that lummox in your house with your sister? He's like twice her size for Etro's sake! Ugh just imagine hearing them having sex, you'd be scarred for life!"

"FANG."

And with that, the moment was ruined.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another rainy day, another chapter. I've been living with the "in-laws" for the last 3mths while we finish saving up a deposit for a house. This benefits you lot because if I don't write I may burn the house down. So that just means you get a lot of frequent updates. hoorayimuseful.tumblr.com for updates, artwork from this and other fics and general Flight obsessiveness.

 

This time it was Fang that was roused from her sleep, with the pink-haired woman tossing and turning so much she may as well been one of the wind turbines back home in Oerba. "Light, by Etro would you lay still for five bloody minutes...?" The Pulsian muttered, burying her head underneath her pillow.

"No..." Came the response from Lightning, her voice sounding pained. Fang uncovered her head and sat up, looking over the pale form of her friend. She nudged her gently, figuring she was having a nightmare. "Serah... No please... Don't leave me alone..." The soldier whimpered in her sleep, and Fang felt her heart clench.

"Hey, Light, come on darlin', you're having a bad dream."

"Please don't leave... Fang... Please... I can't..."

Fang's hand stilled at the sound of her name, and she felt her heart in her throat. Lightning was dreaming about her? Before she could process that, the pinkette suddenly sat bolt upright in bed with a gasp, narrowly avoiding head-butting Fang in the process. She clutched at her chest, breathing heavily. She turned to find the Pulsian sitting beside her, looking concerned.

"Light?"

She was there. Fang was there. She wasn't still in crystal, wasn't being taken from her. The relief and fear of loss mixed in and fought with her mind until her emotions overwhelmed her.

"Fang. You're here." She said meekly, her voice torn and shaking with her feelings. Lightning felt the tears before she could stop them, and bit back a sob. Fang immediately bundled the pinkette up in her arms, holding her tight.

"Course I am, Light. I'm not going anywhere." She replied, stroking her friend's back to try to soothe her anxieties. The brunette held onto her for some time, smiling sadly at the way Lightning clutched onto her shirt like a lifeline. All the time spent in crystal she thought that the loneliness and isolation she could feel pouring from the soldier were just terrible dreams. But instead they were her reality, for three years as Lightning worked obsessively to free the Oerban siblings.

She felt helpless, trying desperately to awaken so she could alleviate the pain that bled from the pink-haired woman. The pain she felt was mirrored in her own heart, feelings that had begun to surface towards the end of their journey to save Cocoon that may well be never recognised in her glass prison. But that was all behind her know, as Fang felt Lightning tighten her hold on her shirt.

"Gods... I'm so sorry..."

"Sorry... For what...?" the pinkette replied, evidently confused by the statement. Fang wiped away some wayward tears with her thumb. Even now at the peak of emotion, Lightning was still the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. She allowed that thought to settle in her mind for a moment and smiled softly.

"I'm sorry I made you go it alone for these last few years, but I'm here now ok? I'm here. You're not alone anymore either, ok Sunshine?" Fang said firmly, brushing stray hairs from the pinkette's face. She felt Lightning lean into the touch, and it made her heart race. The brunette smiled softly and leant back from her friend. "Come on. We're both awake now, let's go watch a movie or something. Take your mind off things."

Lightning nodded slowly, giving the Pulsian a once over and allowed herself to be led into the lounge room. Fang disappeared for a few minutes, and she could be heard rummaging around in different parts of the house. When she returned she had one of her treated furs around her shoulders and balancing two mugs in one hand. She placed them down on the table in front of the couch and threw the fur over the pinkette with a wink.

Once she'd arranged a movie on the television, she settled back on the couch and sipped her tea. Lightning leant forward and grabbed a mug for herself, humming as she took a sip as well. It was her favourite peach tea, which certainly helped soothe her frayed nerves. She finished it quickly, hoping the warmth would settle her down a little. Looking over towards the brunette, she watched Fang's calm expression as the film flickered away on the television.

As the movie progressed, Lightning dared to use the heightened emotions as an excuse and nestled in with Fang. She felt the Pulsian's body tense for the briefest of seconds before finally relaxing underneath her. All her usual instincts about close proximities muted in the wake of needing comfort. She felt safe, curled up against Fang. Where she could hear the heartbeat that let her know that her friend was alive, and with her. She hummed with contentment as the brunette threaded her fingers through her hair, idly playing with the pale strands.

The film was merely background noise at that point, neither focused on the television at all. The fur that was draped over them both kept them warm and so did their closeness, allowing Lightning to drift off to sleep while still in Fang's arms. The brunette watched her friend's breathing even out, and continued stroking her hair. "Looks like I'm not the only one stuck in an endless battle... But we'll find a way through it together, Light." She whispered, her voice breaking from heartache.

"I know we will." Came the quiet reply from below, and Fang looked down to find the pinkette staring sleepily up at her. She didn't need to respond. Her heartbeat was all Lightning needed to hear.

* * *

 

Neither of them could pinpoint the exact moment they fell into a comfortable companionship with each other. Lightning still worked, but had reduced her hours to something more normal in comparison to her previous gruelling schedule. She never overstayed her shifts and refused any operations that took her out of Bodhum, looking forward to going home and seeing Fang. Morning routines went as they did, with Fang working on her meditations and stretching in front of the large window to the back deck while Lightning tried hard to focus on the coffee in her hands instead of the bare skin that was becoming increasingly distracting.

A further testament to Fang's hobby of working with her hands, every now and again Lightning would come home to find a new tiny carving put on the bookshelves or beside her bed. The Pulsian had been doing much better over the months, her form returning to the athletic build Lightning knew and admired. And admire she did, especially when Fang began getting back into her workout routines. The Pulsian used her own body weight to push herself back into fighting form and had even taken to light sparring with the pinkette. While rusty at first, as her physical health improved so too did her skill which put Lightning through her paces.

They still hadn't bothered getting a bed for the spare room, with Fang still sharing with the soldier. Nightmares were still an issue, so Lightning surmised it was better to keep her close. That was the excuse she was using anyway. They had developed some sort of comfortability with each other during that time, where waking up tangled up with each other was no longer anything of concern, beyond a small awkward smile and a blush from both parties. There was obviously something unspoken there, but neither were willing to be the first one to voice it aloud or take the next step.

When the pinkette returned home that afternoon her hand hesitated by the doorknob, keys clutched in her hand. She could hear banging in the backyard and wondered what it could be. "Ok ready? And lift! I said lift! Come on ya mug, a goblin runt could go better!" Fang's voice rang out from behind the house and the pinkette moved quietly through the side entrance to investigate.

Lightning rounded the corner to find Fang lifting a large beam onto the deck with Snow. The way the Pulsian was holding the weight of the beam made her regained muscles in her arms pop with the strain, and had dragged the tank top up her body to reveal her beautifully restored abdomen. Lightning couldn't help but stare at the display, and couldn't suppress the groan that came from her throat.

"Goddess…" She whispered, eyes practically falling out of her head. Fang heard her and dropped the beam.

"Shit sorry Light, was hoping we'd be done before you got home! I just… Uh… Wanted to surprise you with a roof for the deck. Snow's been helping me get it done."

"Huh? Oh. Thank you." The pinkette replied, shaking herself back into reality before the gawking roused any suspicion. "You didn't have to do that." Fang jogged over while pulling her shirt back down, the action drawing Lightning's gaze to the muscles across her stomach disappearing under the cloth. "Really didn't have to... Do that…"

"You feeling alright Sunshine? You look a little dazed." Fang reached forward to feel the pinkette's forehead. "Yep, feeling hot too. Why don't you go and get your gear off and I'll fix you a cold drink? I'm about finished here."

Lightning's mind took Fang's suggestion and ran away with it, leaving her to merely gulp and nod, retreating quickly into the house. She mentally kicked herself. It wasn't new that she noticed the Pulsian's body, but still, it unnerved her every time like the first.

" _Come on Light, Bismarck's over the other side of the springs and he knows well enough to leave us be. The boys have gone hunting for some breakfast, which means us girls can go get cleaned up in peace."_

_Lightning scowled at the Pulsian, not the slightest bit interested in sharing any sort of bathing time. "Someone has to keep watch, Fang. These ceratosaurs are relentless." She said curtly, watching the jade eyes roll in disdain._

" _Don't tell me you're shy…" Fang purred, trailing fingers along the pinkette's arm. Her attentions were swatted away by the soldier, who glared angrily. "Look, I promise you we don't have any bits that are different to your bits. We've been on the run for days now and we haven't had a chance to stop. Nothing personal Sunshine, but we all smell like a behemoth took a shit in an enclosed space. It will do all of us the world of good."_

_She shrugged off the scowl Lightning gave her and sauntered back over to the water's edge. The pinkette suppressed a gasp and looked away when Fang simply began disrobing then and there, not caring for anyone around her. The Pulsian turned to regard the soldier with a wink. "I don't mind the audience you know, you did say someone needed to watch after all…"_

" _KEEP watch, Fang. I said KEEP watch." Lightning snapped as she turned back to the huntress. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Fang's full form in the sun peeking through the top of the spring cavern. A life of a hunter indeed, if those muscles were anything to go by. The pinkette adjusted her collar, feeling suddenly stuffy despite the wide cool chambers they were in. Suddenly the Pulsian wavered, and she looked faint. She took a couple of staggered steps backward and with a groan slipped off the edge of the platform and into the spring._

" _Fang!"_

_Lightning raced forward to the edge of the water, looking frantically for where Fang had fallen. Suddenly tanned arms shot out of the water and gripped the soldier's wrists. Cerulean eyes darted up to meet mischievous jade ones and she growled._

" _Fang… Don't. You. Dare."_

_The Pulsian gave a huge grin and pulled hard, sending Lightning tumbling into the water, clothes and all. The pinkette resurfaced with a snarl and tried to locate where her pending murder victim was. Fang had kicked away from her and was further in, closer to Vanille._

" _Life's all about being daring Sunshine, it's the only way we'll make it out of this alive."_

_There wasn't a response that would satiate her need for revenge, but the words rang true in her mind. She sighed in resignation and took her clothes off, laying them in the sun on back on the platform she'd fallen from. She turned and found Fang treading water close by with a gentle smile. Any anger she felt towards the Pulsian seemed to dissipate in the wake of her calm expression._

" _I'm still going to kick your ass for that once we're out of here." Lightning mumbled, swimming towards the waterfall. Fang's appreciative gaze followed her and she chucked low._

" _Duly noted."_

Lightning finished her shower with a smile on her face. Remembering how mad she was that Fang had managed to invade her personal space without her even realizing it. Now it would seem, as she watched the Pulsian putting the finishing touches on the deck from her bedroom window, Fang had managed to invade her heart with equal stealth and precision. She realised how protective she had become of Fang, and how close she had gotten with the woman. Apart from Serah, she never let anyone else into her life, and yet opened her home and her heart to this wild hunter from the north. Considering her first meeting ended with a slap to the face, Lightning laughed quietly to herself about how far she'd come with Fang getting into her personal space all the time.

Lightning made her way to the kitchen and prepared dinner for the two of them, and smiled as the Pulsian came in from the deck and made a beeline for the fridge. Fang paused to bump her companion with her hip as she passed."Hope you weren't too annoyed by me doing some construction for you, Sunshine…" her voice rang out from behind the open fridge door.

Not sparing a glance from her cooking, Lightning frowned at the pan. "Why would it bother me? One less thing I have to procrastinate about."

"Oh," Fang replied as she closed the door, bottle of water in hand, "You just sounded annoyed when you rocked up, that's all. You made a noise when you saw us messing about with that beam."

"I… did?" The pinkette blushed as she recalled the reason for her uncontrolled outburst and became very focused on cooking dinner. "I… Don't recall, must be tired."

Fang hummed in response as she perched herself on the bench next to the stove. The two spoke about their respective days, and Lightning asked how the deciphering was going. The Pulsian huffed and rolled her eyes. "About as well as a behemoth trying to put on pants… I don't know why I thought I could do this, I'm not the brains of this operation. 'Nille always was."

Lightning shook her head and placed her hand on Fang's tanned arm. "I don't believe that for a second. You know just as much about your history as she does, just because your memory is a little scattered from the crystallisation and -let's face it, copious amounts of trauma- doesn't mean you won't crack the code and get the information from the artefact." The slightest of blushes appeared on Fang's face, and she ducked her head with a smile.

"Why don't you talk to me about it? About the data, what you remember. It might help you think of something." Lightning served their dinner and handed over a plate, leading the brunette to the dining room. "What was it like with the different clans? Any other settlements beyond Oerba and Paddra that you can tell me about?"

They sat down at the table and Fang frowned at her food. "There were a few. Oerba is bigger than you've seen. That bridge we were on back when... You know... It actually ran across the lake to the rest of the town. It's where the vestige was, Anima's temple. They kept the orphanage on the outskirts because of all the skirmishes between Cocoon and Pulse." Fang paused, scoffing with a dismissive flick of her wrist. "In retrospect, it was probably to keep us out of the line of fire for  _branding cattle._ "

Lightning winced at the description, though the brunette was probably not wrong. "Would you like to explore the rest of Oerba? We can go together, if you'd like. None of the patrols have been up that way since the Fall, so we'd be the first."

A small smile crossed Fang's face as she considered a holiday alone with the pinkette, her features reddening as her thoughts turned mildly more inappropriate. "Uh. Yeah sounds good." She replied, clearing her throat and her mind of wayward distractions. "So other clans... The main ones were the Yun, Dia, Nsu, Tzun, Rayn, Pol, Edaan and Ain. While back in the early days we may have all stuck with the clans but I'd say around the time Cocoon was built civilisation was far enough along where it became unnecessary to split up. Clans became towns, towns became villages, and villages became cities. Depending on where you were would determine how much you had to adhere to the old ways." Fang explained between bites of her dinner.

She regaled Lightning with a few tales of their customs, occasionally pausing to groan in contentment at a piece of food. Once they'd finished the meal they cleaned up together, the process taking a bit longer than usual due to Fang constantly flicking water at the pinkette and then being chased around the kitchen with Lightning using the towel as a whip.

They wound up in the lounge room together, with Fang hunched over the coffee table trying to make sense of the images on the parchment. The pinkette was curled up on the couch sipping a tea, watching her friend pour over her notes. She was always fascinated by Fang's handwriting, the curving slopes of Pulsian script always looking more like art than lettering. The brunette suddenly scowled and scrunched up the paper she was writing on, throwing it across the room with a growl.

"This is useless!" She complained, putting her head in her hands. Lightning scooted over on the couch and started rubbing the back of her neck gently, trying to ease the tension she could see. Fang's eyes opened for a moment, startled by the affectionate gesture but quickly found her eyelids slipping closed again as she leant back into the touch.

"You're over-thinking it," The pinkette said, looking over the parchment. The symbols, writing and mismatched images made no sense whatsoever to her, but she supposed that was the whole point. "The maps are obviously designed to not be understood by anyone from Cocoon in case it wound up in their hands. What do you do when you don't want me to know what you're talking about when you're on the phone to Vanille? You speak in your traditional language."

The brunette winced from her spot on the couch. She had hoped she wasn't that transparent. Most of her arguments on the phone with Vanille had lately been about the pinkette, with the redhead trying to goad her adopted sister into making a move.

"That being said," Lightning continued, interrupting Fang's thoughts, "I've already figured out the words for hello, yes, no, shut up and _when you're talking about me_. Languages can be learnt. Deciphered. Think older, what is something that no  _viper_  is going to know?"

Fang frowned and opened her eyes, looking back over the papers. "The old stories. They were forbidden from being transcribed and were only taught in oral tradition. They didn't want Cocoon knowing our history. Because then our past could be turned against us."

Lightning nodded, letting go of the tanned neck with a smile. "So it stands to reason that they could be using the old tales as a cypher of sorts. Figure out what stories they're using, figure out the map."

Silence descended in the room while Fang pondered the idea. She suddenly leant sideways and collapsed in Lightning's lap, hugging her around the waist. "You're a friggin' genius, you know that?" The pinkette smiled, unconsciously running a hand through the dark hair. "I dunno where I'd be without you..." Fang mumbled a little quieter, but Lightning heard it.

"You'd still be a pain in the ass." Lightning replied with a chuckle. "But your recovery is on you and you alone, Fang."

The Pulsian snorted and shook her head, nuzzling closer into Lightning's shoulder. The soldier shifted on the couch to make more room, allowing her friend to get more comfortable. She really couldn't place when she had allowed this kind of contact, a part of her felt like she should be more uncomfortable with it, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"You cared enough to come get me. To risk whatever anger and wrath that awaited you in Oerba. You cared enough to pull me out of my nightmares, out of... My grief. You've done more than you know, Light. I know I've done a lot of work to get back to fighting form but… Don't discredit your part in that. I won't let you." Fang said quietly, sitting up slowly. The pinkette nudged her shoulder and stretched from her place on the couch.

"It's what friends are for. Besides, you've done a lot for me as well you know. Being here, doesn't make things feel so lonely."

She looked around the room to see how much more it had started to become a home, with Fang's carvings, treated furs and other little touches around the place that made the space feel far less sparse. Glancing over at Fang, she realised just how much she was at home with the Pulsian.

Lightning was just fine with that.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy weekend! Well, early. It's the missus' birthday tomorrow, so I figure an early update is in order because if I'm anywhere near a computer this weekend she's going to kill me. SO HOORAY EARLY UPDATES. Comment! Like, subscribe, favourite, what the heck ever! You guys are great. As per usual, hoorayimuseful.tumblr.com for updates, art and renderings related to the fic and ongoing project.

 

"Vanille is going to kill us."

"Probably, but at least we'll go out with a nice view." Lightning replied, looking out over the broken bridge to the other side of Oerba. She'd parked the hoverbike by the edge, for them to scope out the path into the rest of the ancient city. "How many Cie'th do you think are going to be in there?" She asked, regretting the question when she saw the Pulsian wince.

"Likely too many. We'll take it easy, go in prepared. Get out before the sun dips below the mountains. I wonder if…" Fang trailed off with a frown, stepping back from the edge of the bridge. She walked back over to the bike and pulled out her pack from the storage compartment. Rifling through its contents, she found her notebook and pulled it out, furiously scribbling on a blank page as she leant against the vehicle. Lightning didn't bother to suppress the smile on her face when she saw the tongue peek out from Fang's lips, always a sign she was concentrating. The breeze blew the dark, wild hair around and jade eyes glanced up from her work.

"Here, if everything is still where it was, mostly… The central point of the town is where the vestige was, and everything was built around it. There were a few temples and archives on the western side, which… If still intact, could hold some clues to this bloody artefact."

Looking at the markings on the paper, Lightning realised it was a crude city map. She checked her ammunition in her gunblade and moved around to the bike. "Let's go then."

They both soared over the city ruins, doing well to keep their distance from anything that could be an ambush point for Cie'th. The pinkette felt Fang grip her a little tighter on occasion, and any questions thrown her way were merely answered with monosyllabic clips or grunts. Lightning pursed her lips and looked for a safe place to land. She found a building that still looked relatively intact. She killed the engine and leapt off the bike, giving the Pulsian a stern gaze. When there wasn't any reaction, Lightning gently took Fang by the jaw and tilted her head in her direction.

"Hey, where you at right now?" She asked quietly, watching the focus slowly shift back into the green-eyed gaze.

"Oh. Sorry. I… It's so quiet." The Pulsian whispered, looking out over the half-destroyed buildings. A distant roar echoed across the city, making Lightning pull out her weapon and bring it around at the ready.

"Not quiet enough. Fang, I'm going to need you to mind your head here. If you're not ready for this we will turn around and go back. I'm not going to pressure you, but I'm also not putting either of us at risk if you slip into a dissociative state."

The scowl she received in response was intense, and with a set jaw Fang got off the bike. She adjusted the lance on her belt and snarled. "This was a populated, bustling metropolis the last time I was here. So excuse  _me_ if I need a bloody moment after setting foot in my home city for the first time in half a century. Excuse  _me_ if I need a couple of minutes to come to terms with the fact that the city I grew up in is in ruins and there isn't a single soul for miles."

Fang stormed off without another word, and Lightning kicked herself for her insensitivity. "Nice going, Farron…" She muttered to herself and chased after her friend. The Pulsian's shoulders were hunched as she peered over the edge of the building. Spying a few wayward Cie'th in the street below, Fang growled and leapt off the roof, activating the gravity generator that Lightning had grabbed from her office before they set out. With a loud cry, she whipped through the air and pulled out her lance, bringing it down on the Cie'th as she landed. It let out an unholy shriek as it was split in two from the force, collapsing in two places.

Lightning landed effortlessly beside the huntress and glared. "Sure Fang, let's just alert every damn vampire, taxim and ghoul in the vicinity that we're here. Just great."

Gritting her teeth, Fang ignored the comment and continued on through the broken street. They moved slowly and cautiously through the deserted city, the ghosts of memory tickling at the edges of the brunette's awareness.

" _Hey! Lucyn! Faaaaang! Come back!"_

" _Hurry up 'Nille, you're gonna miss the launch of the warships!"_

Fang's gaze turned towards a ruined spire and smiled sadly, leaning on her lance. The pinkette caught the expression and hesitantly approached her friend. "Hey. I'm sorry. About earlier. It was insensitive of me." She said quietly, with her head bowed. Lightning couldn't begin to imagine what Fang was going through and felt guilty that her words caused unnecessary hurt. She thought about what would have happened if she woke up from a crystal slumber to find that half a millennium had passed and everything she knew was gone. It would feel like the end of the world. She looked back towards Fang and saw a distance in her eyes.

"We watched a bunch of warships launch from that spire. Me, Vanille and Lucyn. Snuck out of the orphanage and took a train across the bridge to see them off. Had a good vantage point up there, could see for miles around. It even had a good view of the…" Fang trailed off, her expression turning grim. A loud roar sounded in the direction she was looking and immediately grabbed Lightning by the wrist. She pulled her into a ruined building and down behind a wall.

"Fang, what-" The pinkette was cut off by a tanned hand over her mouth. An enormous shadow suddenly blacked out the streets, a loud guttural growl making the walls shake dangerously. The Pulsian shook her head while still covering Lightning's mouth, not even daring to take a breath until the light started to return to the street. She slowly took her hand away and leant out from their hiding place, wincing as she saw the tips of a tail the size of a train disappear around the corner.

"Shit. Shit shit shit. Was too much to hope that he wasn't still around.." Fang muttered as Lightning stared at her.

"What the hell was that? Dahaka?" The pinkette demanded, looking nervous. Another roar had them ducking back behind the wall in the half-destroyed building. They moved further into the building to get away from the street, Fang's jaw set and clenching tight.

"Fuuuuck." She groaned, shrugging at the soldier's pointed stare beside her. "Sorry. It's the Fal'Cie, Yama. Another flyer like our old mate Dahaka. We'd best steer clear of him, we don't want to wind up dead or branded. Come on. If there's another way out of here we'll be able to head down towards the archives."

They found a hole in the side of the building and escaped into an alley, moving quietly through the city. Caution was the running theme, both choosing to avoid any conflict with the Cie'th if they could manage it. Any sound from the ghouls seemed to draw Yama in to investigate, so they progressed slowly, silently and carefully through the rubble until they reached the archives.

Fang's breath caught in her throat at the sight of the halls beyond the broken doors. A good portion of the building was missing in its entirety, presumably destroyed from both Cocoon and the passage of time. She frowned to herself as they made their way through the doorway, gripping her lance tighter as they climbed over the broken concrete. "If they knew Cocoon was coming, hopefully, they took some pre-emptive measures and locked up the archives in one of the underground bunkers." She said quietly, keeping her voice low so as not to attract attention from the nearby taxims in the street outside.

The Pulsian gestured for them to move forward, Lightning looking around in quiet fascination at the architecture. The tall ceilings were carved stone, and while most were eroded from being exposed to the elements for centuries, but from what she could make out she admired the artistry of the work. They came across great steel doors at the end of the hall and Fang stuck her blade in to pry it open. It was rusted shut but with a bit of force and assistance, the duo managed to rip it open. A concrete staircase led down into the darkness, and Lightning sighed.

"Well, this isn't creepy at all…" She muttered, pulling out a light bar and handing it to the brunette. They slowly moved down the stairs with weapons drawn, the light bars dangling from their respective belts. The Pulsian was breathing slowly and forcefully. the confined space making her uneasy and claustrophobic. Lightning spied a light ahead and moved quickly to get to it, ready to do anything to stop the constant feeling of being watched.

The tunnel opened up into a great domed room, stacked high with crates, shelving, statues and all kinds of artefacts. Both jaws dropped at the sight, the room dimly lit from a few cracks in the ceiling high above them.

"Etro… It could take months to sift through all of this…" Lightning trailed off as she saw the Pulsian's shoulders shaking. She moved around to see the tears on Fang's face and immediately moved close to hold her. "I'm so sorry…"

Stifling a sob, Fang sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. "My entire culture, history, anything resembling my people... Stuffed into a bunker." The reality was crushing. Her memories assaulted her from every angle, and she closed her eyes to try to block them out. It was a clamour in her head, and the only thing that broke through was Lightning's arms around her neck.

"Come on Fang. Ride through it. You're ok. I'm here." She heard the pinkette whisper in her ear, staying close. They parted once the Pulsian had her breathing under control and she nodded slowly. Lightning's hand lingered a little too long on her neck and Fang felt a blush creeping across her face.

"Light… I…"

"Don't worry about it. It's a lot to take in. We'll just take our time." The soldier replied, smiling gently and taking a step back. She gestured to Fang to keep moving, and they wandered through the bunker trying to find anything of significance. Lightning wasn't really sure what to look for, so settled for idly browsing the artefacts and artworks. She took a few photos for Vanille and punched in coordinates to send back to Academia. Within seconds of her sending the data her phone rang. She hesitantly answered it, immediately pulling it away from her ear from the shriek that came down the phone.

"WHERE. ARE. YOU."

"Vanille. We're in Oerba. Looking for something to decipher the map. You may want to send a team here once it's safe." Lightning drawled, watching Fang as she crouched in front of a chest on a short pedestal, rifling through it. The brunette turned to peer at her and she shrugged. "Your sister is having a fit." There was a roll of her green eyes and the Pulsian resumed her search, pocketing something small in her hand.

"Is Yama still around? Watch out for him, he's dangerous."

"We noticed. Anything I should be looking for? Without being able to read Pulsian I can't really help much."

She heard Vanille hum then start typing furiously away in the background. "Look for something that has a Zirnitra carving. That was the Rayn clan's patron. And Light? I'm going to kill you both for going there without me."

"Got it." She drawled, hanging up on the redhead. The two spent hours trawling through the bunker and noting down anything of interest. Fang even managed to come across an oracle drive, which they put in Lightning's satchel for later unlocking.

"We better book love. Any longer and it'll be dark before we get back to the bike and then we'll really be screwed." Fang called out while packing up a number of things and pushing them to a corner for cataloguing later. As she stood, the hairs on the back of her neck raised and she gripped her lance tightly. "Light?"

"What is it?" the pinkette replied, moving close and unsheathing her own weapon.

"We need to run.  _Now."_

Concrete exploded in every direction from above them. Yama broke through the Bunker with a terrifying shriek. " _Go!_ " Fang yelled and took off like a shot. They both sprinted from the bunker and through the archives as the Fal'Cie gave chase. The duo made it to the street and raced back in the direction of the building where the bike was parked. Rasping Cie'th moaned as they sped past, neither Fang nor Lightning slowing down to deal with them.

"Fang, there's the building we left the bike on! We've gotta climb!" Lightning called out. They ran into the nearest opening and ran up the broken flight of stairs. They made it to the roof in record time, the bike thankfully still in one piece. "Come on F-gck!" the pinkette was cut off by a wiry tendril wrapping around her throat and yanking her backwards.

"No!" Fang cried out, reaching for her as Yama came into view. Its enormous clawed arms swiped at the air as its cables reeled the pinkette in. Its long serpent-like body wrapped around the building, crushing it in its grip and causing the roof to buck and crumble. It held several faces atop its skull, and all twisted in unnatural rage at the two interlopers in its territory. Across its body it had adorned itself with various Cie'th stones, wearing them like trophies. It was the first time in half a millennium the Pulsian was getting a sight of the monstrosity, and it was currently taking away one of the few things in her life that held any meaning. She screamed in anger and pain, and her arm burnt where her brand once resided.

Lightning struggled as she was dragged closer to the Fal'Cie, the tendrils wrapping around her wrists and torso to imprison her. She panicked, if it was anything like Animal and Pulse, she knew what was coming next. Lightning braced herself for the pain, silently crying for her sorrow of losing her life to become a slave to a Fal'Cie delusion once more. Her nerve endings lit up like a live wire as Yama moved to brand her. Visions of Cocoon's destruction started flooding her head, but were suddenly ripped from her mind with a mighty roar and a flash of blue and orange.

She fell to the ground, desperate for breath. Lightning frantically looked around for Fang and was instead met with the terrifying sight of Ragnarok as it stood before her, shielding her from the Fal'Cie. The beast let out a terrifying roar and leapt up, slashing at Yama's face with deadly sharp claws. Lightning's earlier theory that it wouldn't have been possible to draw enough energy to summon Ragnarok proven incorrect.

The Fal'Cie bellowed in agony and clutched at its face with its huge hands. Ragnarok wasn't finished, and leapt for Yama's eyes, gouging them with dangerous ferocity. The Fal'Cie roared and got a hold of her, throwing her from his face and onto the roof with a crunch of concrete. Lightning staggered to her feet, her rage at seeing Fang hurt driving her own strength. She instinctively reached out and her namesake exploded from her hand, white light stripping across the sky and electrifying Yama's chest. Lightning stared at her palm while the Fal'Cie shrieked with pain. This time the magic flowed like she remembered, not anywhere near as difficult as it was to heal the small cut on Fang's hand a few days earlier. She threw bolt after bolt into the Pulse Fal'Cie, charring its flesh with her fury.

While Yama reeled from its injuries, she dropped to her knees in a panic and clutched at her chest. Quickly checking herself over, she couldn't see any marks anywhere on her. Did Fang get to her in time and interrupt the branding? Looking up towards the Fal'Cie again, she gasped as Ragnarok leapt high into the air. The beast twisted and shot down towards Yama, using all the momentum she could muster to dig her claws into his throat and tore with all her might. Black coloured blood spilt forth from the wound left in her wake, drenching the ground in the last of its life. Dark crystals began jutting forth from Yama's throat, and it fell back onto the street below.

Lightning slowly stood, breathing heavily and looked around for any sign of Fang, or the bike. Ragnarok landed hard on the roof in front of her, straightening up and looming over the pinkette with a guttural rumble from low in her throat. "Easy now, Fang…" She said, holding her hands palms outwards. Carefully taking a few steps back as the beast advanced on her with a snarl, Lightning tripped on a crack in the concrete roof and went tumbling backwards to the ground. Ragnarok flexed her claws and moved closer with a growl, baring her teeth close to the pale face. "Fang… Please…"

Suddenly the growling stopped and Ragnarok reared back, staring at her hands. Lightning lowered her hands and leant forward a little, looking at the contorted form of her friend. "Fang? Are you still in there? Come back to me, please… I need you… " She implored, tears pricking at her eyes. The beast suddenly fell back and in a flash of bright light, her friend was back. Fang panted, fearful and breathless. She scrambled back away out of reach.

"No no no no no…" She repeated over and over while clutching at her hair, looking panicked and lost. Lightning crawled over to her and slumped down beside her. Exhausted from the fight and too many close calls for one day, she laid down on the roof and nuzzled into Fang with a groan. "Etro… Light… Light!" The Pulsian suddenly cried out, recalling what had happened in the lead up to her turning into Ragnarok. She frantically began to check the pale skin for marks, not even hesitating for the sake of modesty when unzipping the turtleneck to check where the former brand once resided. Lightning wearily batted her hands away with a short laugh.

"I'm fine, you… You got to me just in time. Yama didn't have a chance to brand me."

Fang cried with relief, not even bothering to fight the tears. "Gods… I am so sorry I… Etro…" She trailed off, burying her head in her hands. "I could've killed you. I… I could have…"

"Fang… It's ok really." The pinkette replied, trailing her hand along her companion's face. Suddenly all those pretences and awkward glances they gave each other made more sense, and Lightning began to realise the true depth of her feelings. Life was too short for the unspoken. Even though she was shaking like a leaf, Fang was so beautiful to her in that moment. She was alive, and with her. She smiled and drew the jade eyes back to her.

"I'm alright, Fang. So are you."

The huntress couldn't stop her shaking hands. She felt sick to her stomach. The revelation that Ragnarok was still present and strong within her terrified her. Losing herself to the world ending beast again scared her. She didn't want to hurt anyone, especially Lightning. She certainly didn't want to lose herself to the mindless rage and never see the pink-haired woman again. "But I- I nearly… Gods… I could have…"

Lightning rolled her eyes. It seemed Fang was caught in a loop, and needed to snapped out of it. "Oh for Etro's sake," she cut the Pulsian off, pulling her down onto her lips. The kiss managed to startle Fang into shutting up and served its intended purpose. After being brought back to reality, she finally returned the affections, cupping her hands around the pale jaw and deepening the kiss. They broke apart, breathing heavily and both wide-eyed with the realisation of what they'd just done. Suddenly Lightning started laughing and ran her fingers through the dark hair.

"I suppose this was only a matter of time," She said with a wry grin. Fang chuckled, though the tone was slightly bitter.

"Both the kiss and not escaping Ragnarok, I guess." Fang replied. Lightning pulled her back against her, kissing her gently. She finally broke off and looked at the brunette firmly.

"You became Ragnarok to save me. You saved me. Ok?" She replied, intending every layer of her statement to be heard.

Fang looked up and smiled softly, running a trembling hand across Lightning's face.

"You saved me too, Light."

They sat on the roof for a while in silence, just holding onto one another while they both got their bearings. The pinkette finally sat up and gave Fang a squeeze. "Let's get on the phone to Vanille, cop the lecture we both know we're going to receive and order a transport now that my bike is trashed."

After making the phone call, Lightning sighed and leant up against the wall, feeling Fang press into her as well. The Pulsian took a shaky breath and stared at her hands. "So much for not having enough energy, hey Sunshine?" She muttered sadly to herself. It was loud enough for Lightning to hear and she took Fang by the hand, holding it tight.

"I realised something. It's not about energy. It's about will. It was my will to heal that cut on your hand that night in the bar. It was your will was to keep me safe and stop Yama from harming me. There wouldn't have been anything that would have kept you from accomplishing that end. It's about will. It's… About love."

Fang felt her cheeks redden under the pinkette's lidded gaze, finding all sorts of new meaning behind every glance, every syllable that left Lightning's mouth. "It's that simple huh?" She said, nuzzling into the soldier's neck and feeling more at home than she ever had. Lightning leant down pressed her lips against Fang's once more, this time far more gentle and caring than the heated moment they shared earlier. They broke apart when they both heard the roar of the aircraft in the distance, smiling at the familiar logo that came into view.

"Heard you ladies needed a ride?" Sazh's welcoming voice drawled over the loudspeaker. The pinkette gave a lazy salute as he landed and she stood, dusting herself off. She turned to the huntress with a brilliant smile and held out her hand.

"Come on Fang. Let's go home."

The Pulsian nodded with a gulp and allowed herself to be helped to her feet. Even though the sun was setting in the west, the huntress felt like it was a new day all the same.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another round of dentists, another chapter. Thank you for your patience while I got this one together!

 

A few weeks following the events in Oerba, the two companions were both seated on the corner couch, with Fang resting her head on Lightning's lap as her legs dangled off the edge of the lounge. They hadn't gone any further than the kiss in Oerba, but neither was willing to be the first to bring it up. A stalemate that frustrated Lightning relentlessly on many levels, but she was worried that Fang wasn't bringing it up because it wasn't what she wanted. They still had their considerable closeness, which was at least something.

The brunette in question was busy decoding the maps using data collected from the bunker, working away on a datapad while the pinkette read a book. They had spent the last week trawling through the data they'd collected and had gone for a few more trips back to Oerba -under the supervision of Vanille and the support from Academia of course- getting more artefacts and information. They'd compiled everything onto the tablet the Pulsian was now working from, artefact scans included.

Lightning spied that trademark tongue poking out the side of Fang's mouth and smiled at the sign she was in her focus mode. The soldier ran her fingers lazily through the dark hair and went back to reading, content with how relaxing her nights with Fang had become.

The Pulsian suddenly gripped the datapad tightly and pulled it closer to her face. "No fucking way..." she whispered, a broad grin rapidly spreading across her face.

"Shit yes!" Fang yelled, startling Lightning practically off the couch.

"A little warning next time?" She retorted, annoyed at the shattering of tranquillity. Fang simply beamed and swung her legs around to sit up.

"I did it Light. I  _did_ it. I cracked the damn cypher. You were right about the clan using older tales to protect the data. It's unbelievable. I can't... I can't even..." She stopped, eyes darting through the information and widening suddenly. She took a shaking breath and looked up at the pinkette. "Still have that data projector lying around? I need to... I need to show you." Lightning stood up and went to retrieve the device, and returned to the room when she had found it.

The brunette was already on the phone with her sister to get her conferenced in. She hadn't seen Fang this excited since before she was in stasis and was intrigued by what she had found. The Pulsian quickly put it all together like she'd been shown, and plugged it into the pad she had been working off.

The first thing Lightning saw was a map of the immediate area of Gran Pulse. Fang keyed in a few things and brought up some known locations. "Ok," she breathed, barely able to contain her excitement, "Ok 'Nille are you in a private place? Secure? This needs to stay between the three of us, at least until I'm finished compiling everything and can be certain of what it means."

Vanille affirmed that she was alone in a study room, with headphones on hiding in a corner.

"Ok good. Right. So. There's where Cocoon and the pillar is, and then you've Academia at its base, us here at New Bodhum, as well as the port city Polet, and the other fledgeling cities scattered about." She pointed at each marker on the map, glancing back at Lightning constantly to make sure she was following along.

"So, these are the known areas… what about the rest of them? The non-populated centres?"

Fang grinned and stood closer to the pinkette. "I'm getting to that- watch this." She punched in a few more numbers and the map zoomed out slightly to reveal additional markers, the ruins of Paddra, Oerba, Taejin's Tower and the Archylte Steppe and surrounds. "But this is where it's going to make you a little dizzy because now that I've decoded the Rayn clan's artefact... I was able to rebuild a modern map of everything the old cartographers recorded before everything was lost."

She continued to zoom out further, and further to reveal that what Lightning thought was a vast enough land was only a handful of what the true scope of Gran Pulse had to offer. The pinkette immediately sat back down on the couch, overwhelmed at the size of the lands before her. Gran Pulse was a sprawling continent, on an even larger world. "Goddess… and I was already feeling insignificant when staring back at Cocoon for the first time…" She whispered shakily.

"If they're still there, the ice sheets in the north connect the continents, so a lot of it winds up being one massive landform across  _Gol'Ulse_. The name of the world."

"Fang! That's amazing! I have seen small records of the lands but nothing this comprehensive… This…. Huge! The other researchers are going to lose their minds!" Vanille cheered down the phone. The brunette nodded even though her sister couldn't see the gesture, and she turned back to Light who was staring between her and the map in wonder.

"But look at this 'Nille, Light; the most important thing… And by Etro am I glad you're sitting down for this one." Once more Fang pulled more data up on the projector, and the entire map changed. It didn't show any of the highly detailed terrain but rather lines and symbols and Pulsian script written all over it. Identifiers started popping up on the map that showed Paddra, Oerba, Haerii and the other landmarks they had found on their travels, but other settlements started to appear that had yet to be discovered.

"This is the map that was in the case Rygdea's squad found. I'm still lining up the settlements and things but Light... Vanille..." Fang was visibly shaking now, which caused the pinkette some concern. She reached out and touched her the brunette's arm, watching tears form in her eyes.

"I haven't got all the data yet but… There are signs of settlements in the far west. I mean  _far_  west. Off continent. There were notes scribbled on the map pointing to a few places.  _Cal'Mah_.  _Riaan. Vonun._ There's a chance…" She had to stop to take a breath before her emotions threatened to overwhelm her.

"There's a chance there could have been survivors from the war. The notes say that after Ragnarok failed and Pulsians began to turn on each other, villages cleared out and headed west to escape whatever Cocoon had in store.  _We go west to create Sanctuary. Hidden from the nest. Hopefully, vipers can't swim…_  I'm translating of course. Vanille, our people could have  _survived_."

Lightning stared at the map and tried to let it all sink in. Not only had her entire world just been literally opened up once more, the prospect that there could have been survivors... That there still  _could_  be survivors was staggering. She looked towards her companion and what she saw made her hold her breath.

Vanille was excitedly talking down the phone to them both, but neither of them were listening. Fang had tears streaming down her face at the revelation and Lightning wanted to wipe them all away. She took the phone from her hand and placed it slowly to her ear once she'd taken the redhead off speaker.

"Vanille, give us a few minutes, will you? We'll call you back so we can look at next steps and how to handle this." The young Pulsian seemed to sense the meaning behind the serious tone and hung up to give them space. She took the brunette by the hands and looked up at her. "Fang… I know what this means to you. There could be nothing left, a lot of questions still unanswered but... You weren't the catalyst, you never were. War was the catalyst. Ragnarok didn't wipe out your people."

Fang exhaled hard and tried to stop herself from shaking. "I have held onto it since I woke up the first time around. I… not everyone died Light. They still got out." A giant smile threatened to split her face and it was a sight the pinkette could get used to. "They escaped! My culture, my history, my people... They could still be out there after all this time!" Before Lightning could even blink, Fang surged forward and wrapped her arms around her neck, pressing their lips together in a moment of overwhelming emotions. After a few breathless moments they pulled back, Fang bright red. That was the first time she'd kissed the pinkette since Oerba.

"I.. Uh... I got a little carried away... There... S-sorry.. Light I-"

She was cut off mid-sentence by Lightning grabbing her by her shirt and pulling her back to her lips. "Shut up, Fang."

The next time the pair came back up for air they were both slightly dishevelled, back on the couch, Lightning had been relinquished of her shirt somewhere along the line and they were both ignoring the fifteenth missed call from Vanille on Fang's phone.

Lightning closed her eyes and smiled as she felt Fang's lips press up against her neck. The Pulsian hummed against her throat and nipped gently at the skin. They had sparred in a completely different way for the upper hand, with the pinkette managing to claim victory and was lying on top of the tanned woman. "Light… What are we doing…" Fang whispered against her neck, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"I don't know," Lightning admitted as she drew back to look at Fang properly, "But does it really matter?" She asked with a shrug. The Pulsian raised her eyebrow and gave her an incredulous look.

"Light, you're currently on top of me, not wearing a shirt. I think it matters."

Leaning down and threading fingers through the wild hair that was a little messier than usual, Lightning pressed her lips gently against the tanned forehead. "I didn't mean it like that, I meant... Goddess, Fang. We've been sharing a bed for months, we barely leave each other's side, we're both ridiculously overprotective of each other, I kissed you in Oerba, you kissed me in the loungeroom... I think it's pretty safe to say that we  _know_  what we're doing here."

"So... What you're saying is that this is the next logical conclusion?" The brunette replied with narrowed eyes. Lightning gave her a sly grin and shrugged, moving to get off her.

"Well if you want, I can put my shirt back on and-"

"Nope. Nope. You can stay right where you are missy," Fang interjected, pulling the pinkette closer with arms snug around her waist. "I've waited half a millennium waiting for someone like you to come along. I'm not waiting anymore… But we should probably call Vanille back before she gets on a transport back out here."

Lightning laughed quietly, nodding her head in agreement. She felt giddy, and couldn't stop smiling. Years of sacrifice for everyone around her, and she was finally taking something for herself. Or taking  _someone_ , in this case. Every touch felt like she was awakening from a crystal sleep herself. Every taste of Fang's lips brought an overwhelming feeling of  _rightness._ This was where she needed to be. This was where she wanted to be. She was well and truly home.

* * *

The group sat in silence around a conference table, staring at the projections Fang had put on screen. Rygdea was pinching the bridge of his nose while holding his breath.

"Well... Shit. This complicates things doesn't it?" He groaned and received a dirty look from Lightning.

"As crude as he is in his... Observation," Bartholomew mused, pressing his mouth against his hands as he absorbed the information. "There's a whole lot of variables that have just been introduced simply by knowing of this artefact's secrets. Are there survivors? If not, what's left of them? If there are, will they be hostile? How long until they come to our doorstep? Are they monitoring Gran Pulse or Cocoon? Could they be planning to communicate or conquer? We could wind up repeating history with the War of Transgressions all over again."

The pinkette's eyes snapped to Fang as she caught the tightening of the Pulsian's jaw out of the corner of her eye. She moved closer and took her hand beneath the table, away from the sight of anyone else in the room. She saw the instant Fang visibly relaxed and smiled.

"They're right though, Fang," Vanille said quietly, typing furiously away at a laptop and sending the data to the projectors. "We found some evidence of still active technology south of the steppe. If it's what I think it is, our presence here when we returned to Gran Pulse a few years ago activated it when we flew through the gate. It could well be a beacon. If someone is monitoring, and potentially hostile..."

Lightning grew uneasy at the implications. Either everyone was dead, or they've had three years head start on any military preparations. She shook herself from that line of thinking, knowing it led nowhere productive. Studying the map in front of her, she tapped her finger on the desk in deep thought.

"What's on that mind of yours, gorgeous?" Fang asked quietly, enjoying the light flush that came across the soldier's face. She squeezed the hand back underneath the table and had to restrain herself from leaning over to kiss the pinkette. They had at this point decided to keep their new relationship a secret from the others, just to give them time to feel each other out before their respective sisters started getting excitedly involved with their endless meddling. Lightning caught the flicker of the Pulsian's eyes down to her lips and she coughed to clear her throat.

"I think that we need to tread very carefully here, and not repeat the mistakes of the past. If there are survivors, we need to approach diplomatically." She said, looking around the room. "We don't know if there are other Fal'Cie out there, or if the potential people over the other side of the world are going to treat us as an invading force. We do this quietly. Prepare on the down-low for any defensive capabilities. Don't be the ones to strike first."

Fang's eyes narrowed at the subtle insinuation beneath the words. She ground her teeth in her head at the concept that the Pulsian forces would be openly hostile when it was Orphan and Lindzei that built Cocoon from the flesh of their own land to begin with.

"Vanille, do you think there's anything salvageable in the hanging wastes?" Lightning continued, asking the redhead a direct question. The young Oerban's confused expression slowly shifted into curiousity, and she shrugged. "If we can obtain one of the old Pulsian warships, fix it up so it's 'seaworthy' of sorts," she said while crooking her fingers, "Even if their technology has advanced in the last five hundred years, seeing one of their own ships could lessen the likelihood of an attack off the mark before we even get a chance to introduce ourselves."

"Sure, make us all out to be bloodthirsty killers that shoot first and ask questions later…" Fang muttered under her breath. Unfortunately for her, the pinkette's sharp hearing caught it and Lightning turned with a glare.

"We're  _all_  bloodthirsty killers. We're humans. If the boot was on the other foot  _I_  would shoot first and ask questions later. I'm not stating caution because of any  _Gran Pulsian_  threat, I'm stating caution because we as humans are terrible. Our own people purged innocent civilians to stop the truth from getting out about the vestige and to try to start a war. I'm not talking from a moral high ground here, Fang. I'm talking from a practical one."

The people around the table didn't say a word while Lightning stared the brunette down. She removed her hand from Fang's and stood up from the table, walking out of the room. The pinkette needed to get air before her temper got the better of her. She made her way to the railings outside that overlooked the construction of Academia. The only thing that set it apart from a city in Cocoon was that the sky was endless behind it.

"You're not a killer you know," Fang said quietly from behind her, approaching the pinkette cautiously. "I don't know why you keep referring to yourself like you're some cold-blooded soldier. I've seen your fire, Light. I've seen your heart."

Lightning's shoulders tensed, not feeling up for any further discussion on the subject. The brunette simply moved up next to her and leant on the railing. "I'm a soldier, Fang. A target's a target, remember? If it wasn't for Serah, I would have been hunting you along with the rest of the Sanctum."

"I don't believe that for a second, Light." Fang replied, turning to face her. "You don't strike me as the type to follow blindly. You never have. You would have seen through the lies pretty damn quick  _regardless_ of whether your sister was involved or not. You're not some mindless lackey, so stop acting like you were."

The pinkette whirled around as well, electricity jumping dangerously around her fingertips. Fang saw it and took a couple of careful steps back. With the elements flowing far easier and seemingly directly connected to her emotions, Lightning glanced down at her hands with a worried expression. If anger brought the magic that quickly, she feared what it could do in Fang's position. That she could become Ragnarok again. Inhaling deeply, she forced herself to calm down. She moved back away from her partner and closed her eyes.

"What's this really about?" The Pulsian asked, refusing to be shut out. "Hey, look at me. Talk to me."

Lightning found herself being turned back around and opened her eyes. Fang chanced a quick look around, confirming nobody else was in sight and ducked her head down, kissing the pinkette gently on the lips. She smiled as she felt the soldier lean in, but pulled back before someone saw them. Amused by the frustrated whimper that left Lightning's throat at the loss of contact, Fang placed her hand on her shoulder and squeezed. That quick moment of affection seemed to be enough to break the pale woman's barriers, and she sighed in resignation.

"Was it too much to hope that we could just have a moment's peace to ourselves, after everything that's happened? I just got you back and… I understand you want answers, I know you do. I'm just scared I'm going to lose you all over again." Lightning finally replied, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around the Pulsian's neck. Fang smiled warmly and allowed her hands to rest on the pinkette's waist, kissing the top of her head.

"You're not going to lose me, Light. I'm right here. I always will be."

"You turned into Ragnarok to save me, what if what we find at the other end of the world leads to something far worse?" Lightning asked, almost fearful of the answer. She pressed into the brunette, resting her head in the crook of Fang's neck.

"She did  _what?_ " A sharp voice came from the doorway, and both women jumped apart, startled. Vanille stood on the balcony, glaring at the two of them with an anger as bright as the sun. The duo looked at each other and then back to the furious redhead in front of them.

"Uh, Vanille, that... That wasn't what it looked like..." Lightning started, immediately silenced by a stern hand being raised. The young Pulsian grabbed her elder sibling by the ear and rolled her eyes towards the pinkette.

"Like I care about that, I've been waiting to catch you two in the act for months. It's about time. Fang, you and I are going to have a serious talk about exactly  _what went down in Oerba._ Now _."_

Lightning's jaw dropped as she watched the brunette get dragged off the balcony with a fearful glance back at her before she disappeared inside. And she thought Serah was scary when angry.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I BOUGHT A FRIGGIN HOUSE. So now here's a chapter. In case you weren't aware, hit up my profile because I've got another three or so stories on the go at present to try to draw out the time between updates as I don't have as much of a buffer like I did with my first story In Too Deep. Thanks for reading and as always, check out the hoorayimuseful.tumblr.com for updates and art pieces related to the fics, as well as the slow descent to insanity as I get sucked into the vortex that is Pharmercy. Subscribe! Like away! Comment! I always love hearing from you lot.

"This is the  _exact_ reason why I didn't want to tell you about Oerba, 'Nille," Fang groaned as the redhead scowled and removed the scanner. She was hushed by the still angry young Pulsian, who took a large needle from a tray and brought it around. "Uh, Vanille. There's… No need for that."

Vanille glared at her and covered the brunette's mouth with her hand. "You don't get to tell me what  _there's a need for_. You turned into  _Ragnarok_  for Etro's sake, Fang! I didn't even think any of that was possible let alone something you could do in the blink of an eye! What if it happens again?"

Lightning stood in the doorway, watching the redhead yelling at her sister while she took a blood sample. She cleared her throat in a weak attempt to announce her presence, and Vanille whirled around with a glare. "And don't you even start." She snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at the soldier, "She turned into Ragnarok, and  _you_  nearly got yourself branded again! Both of you nearly  _died_! I swear you're as bad as each other when it comes to rushing into things. You've both got the heads of a behemoth."

Fang was certain she had never seen Vanille so angry in all her life. It came from a place of fear and love combined, but it was still something that shocked her. Lightning felt like it was a taste of what it was like on the other side of the fence, not subject to Serah's wrath for once.

"If you think you're going alone into the wilds to check out these alleged hidden cities in the west, I'll kill you myself before you even leave the city boundaries."

The two women stared at the young Pulsian as she placed the needle gently on the tray, now filled with an extraordinary amount of blood before she slammed the nearby drawer shut and stormed from the room. Fang scratched at her arm where a small cotton strip was now placed over it and sat quietly.

"She's right you know," Lightning called out from her spot by the doorway, unfolding her arms and walking over. She took Fang by the jaw and leant down to kiss her gently. There was no initial reaction from the Pulsian, still feeling stiff from her berating from her sibling. Lightning ran her hands underneath the sari, trailing her fingers along the defined abdomen and gave a gentle bite to the pout the brunette wore. Hearing a pleasurable gasp, she got the reaction she was seeking once the affection was finally returned. "We are both seriously stubborn people."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Well, we're also too stubborn to die at least."

Fang snorted at the truth of the statement and leant back, resting her weight on her arms. "Vanille gets her wish regardless of whether I have the itch to just take you and disappear into the wilderness alone." She paused and enjoyed the involuntary shiver from the woman in her arms. She seemed to like the idea as well. "If we're looking to do this, retrofit an old war vessel, we can't do it alone anyway. The ship needs a crew."

The pinkette smiled and ran her fingers lazily through the dark hair, an action that was fast becoming one of her most favourite things to do with the Pulsian. "So now we get to be pirates?" She asked, an amused smile on her face.

" _Sky_  Pirates," Fang corrected her with a quick kiss before leaping off the bench. Rolling her shoulder and wiggling her fingers to get some movement back post needling, she was ready to get as far away from the lab and Vanille's wrath as possible. She hesitated by the door, turning to find Lightning by her side.

Not content with the lack of closeness she slipped her hand into her companion's, seeing the light blush on her face. Fang wasn't entirely sure if Lightning was entirely prepared to "go public" so began to withdraw her hand, only to find the pinkette's grip tighten. She raised an eyebrow in question, and saw a small grin threatening to tug at the soldier's lips.

"Leave it. Knowing Vanille she's already told my sister."

* * *

Fang sat in the doorway of the aircraft, legs dangling out the side while Sazh made another slow pass of the Hanging Edge. They'd been scouring the junkyard for what felt like hours, trying to find a warship and the scraps that could put the old hunk of metal back together. She munched on a sandwich Lightning had made her while deep in thought. She stared at the horizon in the distance, wondering what they'd find.

Whether or not they'd find anyone alive, let alone potentially hostile was anyone's guess. How safely could they make the long trip across the world and back with antiquated technology? Would the Cocoonians be able to retrofit it and get it airworthy? She certainly hoped so. But then, there was the additional task of getting someone to fly the scrapheap, the controls vastly different to anything she'd seen on any Viper vessel.

"You know, we'd understand if you didn't want to come old man, but we definitely need a captain for this ship once it's built." She mused, not hearing over the sound of the jet engines but knowing he scoffed all the same.

"You're kidding, right? I got my son back, I got a life again, and you're wanting to drag me along on another life-threatening adventure?"

"You'd miss us too much  _dad_. Who'd keep Fang out of trouble if you're not around?" Vanille chirped from the seat beside him, and he chuckled in agreement. The brunette stuck her tongue out from her spot in the doorway before a gleaming metal structure caught her eye.

"Oooh there's a big girl down there, I think we might have hit our payday," Fang called out, leaning dangerously out of the craft. She pulled out her communicator and flicked the switch. "Hey gorgeous, I think I might have a present for you. Wanna thank me for it later?"

Nothing but crackling came down the earpiece for a few moments, before a long drawn out sigh. "Fang, this is a public channel, must you?" Lightning chastised, voice exasperated. It was the Pulsian's favourite kind of tone, second only to the one reserved for only her and in the bedroom. "What have you found?"

"Huge chunk of shiny that looks to be an intact hull. Could be a winner?" She replied with a grin, peering over the surface with the binoculars. She marked it on the map and waved to Sazh to set his ship down. As the craft settled in with a comfortable landing, Fang leapt off the platform she was seated on and walked briskly over to the hull.

It dwarfed her in size, from the air it didn't look so imposing but now that she was standing before it… If they excavated the rest of it, presuming it was intact, they'd have a sizeable ship for their expedition. It was wedged into the earth at an angle, the bow of the ship sticking high into the air like the entire craft had been hurled at the ground like a spear. With her lance in hand, she stuck it into the nearby rusted door and wrenched it open. She was getting royally sick and tired of using her weapon as a crowbar. The door fell back with a screech of steel and she poked her head inside.

"Fang, wait until Lightning gets here, will you? For Etro's sake…" Vanille called into her comms unit, which of course the brunette steadfastly ignored.

"Yeah yeah. Because gods forbid I'll have to explain to the superiors about running into the officers on the ship still alive and br-" a skeleton falling from a bulkhead as she opened another door startled her into silence, watching it fall into the darkness below. It still had the tattered rags of a Pulsian officer uniform, and Fang couldn't help but swallow hard. It was one thing facing the ghosts of her past in this relic, but wasn't expecting the bones of her memories to be so literal.

Still, she pressed on towards the bridge, forced to climb at awkward angles from how the ship was partially buried in the ground. Fang knew she'd get into trouble but she would face the lectures later. There was something pulling at her, that she needed to be the first before any Cocoonians set foot in the vessel. Her jaw set at the corpses she passed, some with still the scarcest remnants of skin still hanging off the bone. It was strange to see something so surprisingly intact, Pulsian script over many surfaces, memories clawing their way to the surface as she passed them. Her breath caught at the sight of a few names over the stations, a couple of them were of her own clan.

Up ahead Fang spied the door to the bridge, and she had hoped that it wasn't sealed shut. It had gotten progressively darker the higher into the ship she climbed, as there was less structural damage that allowed sunlight to enter through the gashes in the metal. She pulled out her light bar from her belt while she hung from a railing with one hand, fumbling around with the device until she managed to switch it on and pulled it up towards the door.

She stifled a horrified gasp and nearly lost her grip on the bar that was keeping her from falling a very long way down to her death. Old, dried blood covered the walls and doors, smeared over the steel in a desperate fashion. However, it was what was beneath the blood that was the cause of her distress. A mural, an artistic rendering of the world ender herself. Ragnarok.

The painting was faded, scratched in places like someone had tried to scrape it off. It had been vandalised, before the vessel had met its end at the hands of the greedy Fal'Cie, presumably by the ship's crew themselves. It didn't take a genius to figure out why.

Her arm burnt again, though she couldn't tell if it was because she'd been hanging off the metal bar for too long or because Ragnarok was roiling beneath her skin, seeking to be released at the insult that she wasn't strong enough to do what needed to be done.

"Fang? Fang are you there?" Lightning's hurried voice broke her from her thoughts, realising that she was near hyperventilating. She tapped her comms device in her ear and sighed.

"Yeah I'm here, what?" She croaked, her voice sounding foreign to her own ears.

"Fang I've been calling for the last five minutes, where were you?"

The brunette gave the door a once over and then began to drop back to the bulkheads below, back towards the entrance. She'd seen enough. She landed with a thud against the steel and winced as the impact jarred through her body. Lightning was standing in the doorway, no amount of concern written on her face. Fang merely strode past her, her expression dark.

"Interference. The ship is fine, excavate it."

She blew past the pinkette without any further response, walking away down one of the paths that led from the site towards the rest of the Hanging Edge. Vanille and Sazh jogged over, watching her leave with confusion.

"Where's tall and gruff headed?" Sazh asked, pointing at the brunette's tense exit. Lightning stared after her with a frown.

"I'm not sure. She wasn't responding to me earlier. I think something in there must have rattled her." She replied, handing out a couple of grav-units to the other two and disappearing inside. She peered up at the darkness above her and sighed. "Guess we're climbing again."

Vanille gripped the device in her hands and followed in. "Doesn't this bring back memories Sazh?" She asked cheerfully, though her eyes betrayed her concern. He huffed and ignored her, not interested in reminiscing on their traumatic days on the run. Lightning was already up further in the ship, inhaling sharply at the sight of the skeletons.

"Vanille, Sazh, there's… Bodies here. What's left of them anyway. Just forewarning." She called out. They climbed in a tense silence until they came to the same huge doors that impeded Fang's earlier path. A gasp from behind her caused her to turn as Vanille's torch landed on the artwork.

"Oh.. Fang…" the redhead said quietly, the pain evident in her tone. Lightning followed her sorrow-filled gaze to the mural she was staring at and her breath caught in her throat.

"Vanille… What does it say?" She asked, hesitant for the answer. Lightning averted her eyes, tears stinging at the edges of her vision as the young redhead translated the words with a shaking voice. The Pulsian scrawl was crude, calling Ragnarok every name under the sun. Marked as a traitor, a betrayer, the herald of Gran Pulse's destruction. She knew that Vanille never really thought of herself as Ragnarok, but Fang on the other hand… Well, she had seen the brunette take on the form on more than one occasion now, so it made sense that she'd take the aggression to heart. She simply let go of the railing, allowing herself to fall through the narrow upturned walkway of the ship and let her grav-unit take care of the landing. Lightning sprinted from the ship, signalling to the others to begin marking the ship for excavation and took off in the direction she'd seen Fang disappear.

To her knowledge, the Pulsian hadn't been to the Hanging Edge before, so was uncertain if she had a specific direction in mind or if she was just wandering the paths. The trail of destroyed worker mechs left in her wake at least gave the pinkette something to follow. Her breath quickened in her lungs as she searched, her chest constricting with worry. She found Fang was always quick to blame herself for what happened, even after the revelations that their people could have survived. Rounding a corner, Lightning came upon her destination and skidded to a halt.

There was Fang, sitting quietly and staring off into the distance. The pinkette carefully sat down and looked out at the broken shell of Cocoon, the ruins of Bodhum barely visible. They sat in silence, though Lightning could practically feel the tension pouring from the brunette in waves.

Fang clenched her teeth and closed her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it." She growled, refusing to look at the soldier that sat beside her.

"You don't have to say anything. I'm here regardless. I'm not going anywhere, unless you want space. Whatever you need. But it wasn't your fault. You've shouldered the burden of Cocoon too many times now. And I... I know it's selfish of me to say, but I'm glad you're here with me now."

There was a noticeable slump in Fang's shoulders at the pinkette's words. "Is it wrong of me to agree? That my inability to fulfil my focus condemned an entire population to death, but I would never have had you in my life if I'd succeeded? Gods. I'm such a hypocrite."

Time spent over the last while with the Pulsian had meant Lightning knew that in this state, Fang would not be open to physical contact so kept her distance while still remaining near. She leant forward to manoeuvrer herself further into the brunette's line of vision. "You weren't to blame for what happened to Gran Pulse. All of that was the doing of Barthandelus and his endless games. Life would have ended here with or without you, Fang. I know it doesn't make it any easier to hear it but what's done is done. You're here with me now."

Fang simply nodded, not willing to speak for the lump in her throat. They sat there for the remainder of the afternoon, just being in each others' presence.

* * *

It wasn't until far later in the evening when they were back at home that the events finally caught up with Fang in a drastic way. She tossed and turned in the bed, unable to sleep with far too much on her mind. Continuously flexing her fingers, like she was checking that they were still intact, the Pulsian sighed at the ceiling.

She rolled over for the countless time that night and opened her eyes to check on the pinkette that lay beside her. She was startled by the cerulean eyes staring back at her, but there was a lifeless quality to the gaze that frightened her. It didn't look right. They were unfocused and distant, like they were looking through her. Fang sat up and reached out as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She screamed as she found the bed soaked in blood. Lightning's blood.

Her hands sharpened into the claws of the beast that fought it's way to the surface. A choked sob escaped her throat and she fell out of the bed, scrambling back against the wall. Ragnarok was the mindless beast of nothing but rage and suffering that was hell-bent on destroying Cocoon and anything from it. And she had just destroyed the only thing in her life that held any meaning.

Lightning sat bolt upright in bed the moment she heard the scream. Fang was on her hands and knees on the floor, gasping for breath.

"Fang..." She called out cautiously, sliding off the bed and taking slow but sure steps towards the brunette. Wild, disoriented eyes darted around the room, like she was trying to discern where the voice was coming from. The pinkette shuffled forward and she gasped at the stark white that had overtaken Fang's irises.

"Shit.." Lightning cursed under her breath and reached out for her. "Fang! Come on... Snap out of it for fucks sake..." She bit her lip and drew her hand back. "Sorry for this..." the pinkette whispered and struck Fang in the face. It seemed to do the trick, and those jade eyes Lightning had fallen for returned with a rasping breath.

"What... What the... Light..? You're not... You're not dead..." The Pulsian sobbed, clutching at her shirt until it practically tore the fabric. There was no trace of injury, the bed sheets behind them pristine as they always were to the pinkette's impeccable standard. It had been so vivid, so real. She thought she could still feel the blood on her hands and she scratched at her skin in an attempt to rid herself of the feeling.

"No, I'm not... Fang, what's going on?" Lightning asked, though for all the good it did may as well have asked an adamantoise for the mysteries of life. The brunette just sobbed into her neck, completely inconsolable. Her jaw throbbed, her eyes burnt and she couldn't get her breathing under control.

"Fang, look at me." Lightning said firmly, pushing back and cradling her face in her hands. "I'm here. Ok? Whatever it was, it was a dream. I'm here. I'm not leaving you." She assured her, stroking her face with her thumbs in a vain attempt to wipe the torrent of tears away.

It took a long time for Fang to finally calm down, and allowed Lightning to get up and fix her a drink. Where she was expecting the pinkette to return with a couple of steaming mugs in hand, she couldn't help the mild amusement when she placed down two glasses and a bottle of some Cocoonian liquor.

"No tea?" She asked wryly, her voice feeling strained in her throat. A short huff came from Lightning as she sat down on the floor and leant back against the wall, pouring the drinks.

"Figured we both needed something a little stronger. You back with me? Sorry I had to... Smack you out of it earlier."

Fang nodded slowly, her head pounding from her earlier outburst of emotion. She smiled slightly as she picked up the glass and watched Lightning do the same, both downing the alcohol in one shot.

"So..." Lightning began, choosing her words very carefully around the now fragile Pulsian, "That scrawl back in the ship? That's not on you. People lash out, look for things to blame when things seem hopeless instead of figuring out how to move forward." She continued, leaning down and resting her head on Fang's shoulder. "It doesn't matter if you didn't fulfil your original focus. It wasn't what ended everyone. The Fal'Cie blinded both sides to their true intentions of the war."

"So much needless death... They all died thinking I was the reason for it." The Pulsian muttered sadly, staring at her glass as Lightning dutifully refilled it.

"You're right, it was needless death. But we've found a way to stop it. To break the cycle. And we couldn't have done it without you. I... Couldn't have done it without you." She added with barely a whisper. She felt Fang lean her head against the wall before turning and planting a gentle kiss on her scalp.

"Just when I think I'm out of the woods with this crap, something else resurfaces and drags me back in. That was the first nightmare I've had in months." Fang finally said with a sigh. "I thought I'd... Gods, if I'd become Ragnarok again..."

"You... Were... Well on your way when I woke up. Your eyes were completely white and... Um..."

Silence descended between them until Fang shifted forward and put her head in her hands. Thanking the Gods that it was just a dream that the pinkette was dead, but cursing them that it was vivid enough to spur on the changes all the same.

"Shit... What am I gonna do, Light?" she croaked, running her fingers through her own hair with a ragged breath. She attempted to blink the tears from her eyes and it alleviated some of the overwhelming emotional strain.

Lightning took her by the jaw, stroking her thumb delicately along where she'd had to hit her earlier, hearing the slight hiss from the Pulsian.

"What  _we_ are going to do is figure it out together." She replied, resolute in her desire to help. She remained quiet and pensive until she looked over with a smile. "What was it like, the first time you used any magic after you were branded? It was hard right? All power no control. But it got easier as you went along, the more you used it. You could control it, refine it, direct it to your target. What  _we_  are going to do is learn how to control it."

Fang moved away from her, visibly recoiling at the idea. "Have you gone mad, Lightning?" She seethed, the very concept of forcing the change outrageous to hear. "What if something happens? What if I don't come back? What if-"

"Where you go, I go." Lightning interjected with a finger over the brunette's lips. "We will fight this together. But we can't run from this. Or Ragnarok is going to win out and then someone is going to get hurt. I love you, Fang. I'm not letting you go that easily."

The Pulsian sat in silence, astonished and gaping at the admission. She pulled the soldier close and kissed her on the forehead.

"Ok. Ok. I trust you. And I... I... love you too, Light."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience while I got through some more of this story! I mentioned over on my tumblr a few weeks back that I had an issue with continuing the next arc of the story because this was originally a cross-over fic before I ended up doing that with I2D (This was started first). I wasn't sure if I wanted to do that again so the updates on this stalled a little while I plotted the next course of action! I think I'm nearly where I want to be, so I'm moving ahead with what I can for the interim!

"Sit. Still." Lightning growled as Fang started drumming her hands on her knees for about the twentieth time that morning. The Pulsian leant over to kiss her partner, only to have the scowling soldier move away from her. "I'm serious."

"So am I. About making a move on you, I mean."

There was the quietest of snorts from Vanille, who was sitting behind them on the couch. She was reading through copious amounts of data on a tablet and tried to ignore their conversation. She'd been granted leave to come back to the house to work on both the ship schematics and what she referred to as a "personal research project"- not willing to give anything away about Fang's current… Predicament.

"Focus.  _Please_." Lightning implored, closing her eyes and settling back into her own meditations.

"I am focused," Came Fang's breathy response that tickled her ear, "Focused on taking this meditation session to the bedroom…" Lightning sighed, fighting to maintain her own concentration with Fang so close and making quiet purring sounds in her ear. Her eyes snapped open and she pushed the agitating brunette back with her index finger and glared.

"For the love of… Stop deflecting. I've seen you meditating in the lounge room before, why is this difficult for you now?"

Fang rolled her eyes and tutted at the pinkette, stretching out her shoulders and arms in the process. "I don't know, because maybe I am filled with less peace and tranquillity and more the knowledge that there's a monster under my skin threatening to jump out and tear everything to shreds in a five-hundred-mile radius?"

She suddenly stood and walked over to the window, folding her arms with a huff. "This is serious, Light. It's one thing to suffer from the battle-sickness… Post-traumatic stress or whatever you lot call it. But it's something completely different when it could literally cost someone their life because I can't control Ragnarok."

"Then learn to control it," Lightning said, moving up alongside her. "Yours is a very literal beast. But the core of the coping strategies is the same. You've never shied away from a fight before, so don't start now."

The redhead pondered the implications of what it could mean to get Ragnarok under control. If Fang could get a handle on the transformations and somehow manage to keep her wits about her, she would be a formidable weapon in and of herself. It would definitely come in handy with the mission they were about to embark on.

She glanced over at the tension in her sister's shoulders and hummed. Lightning caught the sound and turned to face her. "Something ticking over there?" She asked, and Vanille nodded.

"Yup. She's holding back because she's scared of turning into Ragnarok and losing control."

"I'm not-" Fang began to protest, but the pointed stares from both women had her shutting up with a pout.

"Fang, if you're hesitating you're not going to be able to control it when the time comes that its necessary. Hesitation costs lives, as I recall you drilling into my head back in Oerba. I think we're tackling this the wrong way."

Lightning already had an inkling as to where this conversation was going, she had already thought it through. She winced, watching the brunette's reaction as the realisation began to dawn.

"No. Vanille, no. You can't be serious."

"I know you're not going to like it any better but we're left with little choice and honestly? We don't have time. As soon as the ship is operational it's leaving port for the west. If you aren't ready in that time, you'll be left behind because we can't risk it." Vanille said sharply, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her. She stepped forward and held onto her sister's hands.

"But… 'Nille, what if…"

"We can't get you to focus on the change if you are so scared of it, we need to focus on getting you calm when you're already in the form. Then we can work on controlling your shifts into Ragnarok without you freaking the hell out about it."

Lightning's fingers trailed along the back of Fang's neck, causing the brunette to shiver slightly. "Come on, you know we'll face whatever comes, but you are more than the bullshit graffiti on the ship. They didn't know you like I do."

Fang took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Now that she was intrinsically aware of it, she could feel the power of Ragnarok brimming just below her skin. If she didn't find a way to face it, it would overrun her and be her ruin. It wasn't quite the same feeling as when she was a L'cie, there was something more fragmented, more chaotic about it rather than it feeling like it was a part of her.

"Ok. Ok… We'll give it a go. No way you're leaving me behind."

With a brilliant smile, Lightning leant forward and kissed Fang's forehead. "Couldn't have you miss out on your sky pirate fantasies after all…"

* * *

"I'd like to register my strong objection to this entire plan?" Fang's voice crackled through the speakers in the lab, and Vanille switched on the microphone with a roll of her eyes.

"Your complaint has been registered." The redhead drawled, and Lightning's lips thinned as she stood at the window of the facility below. Fang was in a small but durable space, practically wearing a hole in the floor as she paced. Watching from behind the two-way mirror, Lightning managed to tear her eyes away from her partner for five seconds to look at the young Pulsian at the desk.

"This uh, this lab is secure, right? That mirror is shatter-proof?"

Vanille simply shrugged as she punched in a few more configurations into the console. "Nothing is absolute in this life Lightning, don't start asking me to make them now." She replied wryly. Lightning raised an eyebrow at the glib response and went to chastise the Pulsian. Vanille seemed to anticipate it and headed her off at the pass.

"I'm not a complete idiot Light, there is a massive risk doing this. If the containment doesn't hold, if she isn't able to get a hold of herself, if she… Doesn't come back. We're in complete uncharted territories and I'm  _terrified_. So please don't take my flippant comments to mean I don't care about what's about to happen. Fang," Vanille then flicked the microphone back on and addressed her sibling, "Keep talking to us until you feel you can't anymore, it can be about anything."

"Does what I did to Lightning the other night count as a topic?"

" _Fang_ ," Lightning warned with an exasperated tone. Vanille stifled a giggle and took a deep breath before pushing a button on the console.

"What? I was going to talk about the fact that I got distracted reading and burnt dinner, which forced you to go out and pick up groceries after your shift at work. What were  _you_  thinking I was referring to?"

The blush on the soldier's face was intense and she kept gaping like a fish, trying to think of a retort. Vanille muted the microphone and kept her voice low. "Keep her talking, Light. It's important she doesn't catch onto the sedatives we're pumping into the room."

"Sedatives?" Lightning queried, a growing concern settling in her gut.

"It needs to be spontaneous, if she's semi-sedated her body will be more likely to react on instinct, and more likely to shift into the Ragnarok form. Plus, hopefully, the sedation will keep her contained."

 _Hopefully,_  Lightning's mind repeated as she flicked the microphone on. "Hey, Fang?"

"Yeah, babe."

The pinkette smiled at the term of endearment, her partner likely not even aware she'd said it. "That song I hear you humming sometimes, when you're sitting in the loungeroom of a morning. What is it?"

There was a moment of silence and they watched as Fang looked around her with a flutter of her eyelids. "It's an old hymn. About a girl who prayed at the feet of a Fal'Cie to be sent home as her focus, so she could forever watch over her homestead in crystal sleep. The Fal'Cie gave pity on her and…" Fang suddenly trailed off, stumbling forward a little. Her eyelids felt heavy and her limbs were slow to move. "Oh I see, try to knock me out will you… No… No dessert for you later… 'Nille…"

The redhead smiled sadly in the safety of the booth, and hovered her hands over a switch. "I apologise in advance, Fang." She said quietly and flicked it on, causing a hum to reverberate in the room. "The tones generate at a level that triggers the fight or flight response in the brain, we'll see if it's enough to do the job." The brunette winced and tripped forward, pressing against the wall as it vibrated from the noise. She groaned and pressed at her head as the low tones assaulted her ears.

"What're you… Try'na… Get at… Red menace…." Her vision swam and her heartbeat rose, panic beginning to settle into her mind. It was a cruel method, she realised, that they were effectively forcing her into a state where she would be sedated enough to not think, not overanalyse. Fang bared her teeth at the ceiling and snarled at the speakers. This was happening whether she liked it or not.

There'd be a time for forgiveness later. Right now, she was  _pissed_. With an uneasy glance down she saw the first of her nails shifting into claws, savage talons growing from her fingertips. Her ribs shifted, the popping sounds making her ill as she grimaced in pain. When Fang was back in Oerba, she didn't even recall becoming Ragnarok. One moment she was reaching for Lightning, the next scrambling away from her. This was… This was definitely a sensation she'd prefer to forget.

The Pulsian's cry of pain pierced through the speakers, and both women leant forward trying to keep an eye on her as she fell forward in front of the mirror. "Fang? Fang!" Vanille yelled into the mic, while Lightning held her breath and tried to remain calm.

A massive clawed hand suddenly slammed against the glass, startling them both. Fang was no longer in the booth, only Ragnarok remained.

"Fang, if you can hear me, give me some sort of sign you're still in there…" The redhead called out, watching the savage form snarl at her reflection from the other side of the mirror. Lightning moved in front of the glass and held her hand up against it, her hand absolutely dwarfed by the blue and orange one on the other side. Ragnarok seemed to be contemplating its own reflection in the mirror, like there was some semblance of higher intelligence somewhere in that rage-filled mind.

When Vanille called for her sister again, Ragnarok reeled back and growled at the speaker on the wall. Roaring in anger, it leapt forward and started clawing at the cage, trying to tear the speaker from its housing and destroy it. Then going on a rampage in the confined space, it began to claw at the walls and attack the glass.

"Light, the sedatives aren't doing anything to slow her down… we're pumping them at full capacity into the cell and it's having no effect."

The pinkette looked over the scene and unconsciously drifted her fingers over the hilt of her gunblade. She hoped it wouldn't come to this, but then by the same token, it was how it had to happen.

"Vanille, open the door, I'm going in."

The redhead stared at her incredulously, her nose crinkling in outrage. "Look, just because you're sleeping with my sister doesn't mean you have to try to match her levels of insanity."

Lightning ground her teeth and exhaled forcefully through her nose. "Just. Open. The door. Vanille." She growled and marched through the door to the hallway. Standing at the door to the cell on the other side, the soldier took a few moments to steady her breath. Her hands shook and she focused on slowing her heartbeat. It wasn't Fang in there right now, but something that was intent on destroying the brunette. Lightning wouldn't allow it.

"Right. Open it."

The door slid open and the pinkette strode into the cell, finding Ragnarok snarling and spitting with rage at the intrusion. Lightning gave a quick glance around the room, eyeing off how little space they had to manoeuvre. "Fang, I don't want to hurt you, but if you don't calm down you're going to go down. Hard."

The beast merely growled, the sound guttural and threatening low in its throat. Suddenly it shot forward, claws outstretched with lethal intent. Lightning slid out of the way just in time as the hulking body crashed into the door. The soldier immediately unsheathed her blade and parried every dangerous slashing of talons that came close to her, a few times catching on her uniform and tearing the fabric.

She couldn't let Ragnarok win. This was Fang's greatest fear, and Lightning needed to prove that she was stronger. That she could overcome the raw power and rage spewing forth from the monster. Lightning gave a determined smile and ran up the wall as she was pursued, flipping over the beast with agile grace.

"Come on Fang, either snap out of it or catch me. I haven't got all day." Lightning called out, beckoning Ragnarok with a crook of her finger. The beast's eyes narrowed, frowning as if absorbing the quip. It shook its head, its long mane moving about like waves. There was the briefest glimmer of recognition in the white eyes, a barely noticeable twitch of facial features before dropping back underneath the mask.

Ragnarok leapt forward again with a roar, anticipating Lightning's dodge and slammed into her torso with its tail. It sent the pinkette careening into the wall, and she hit the floor with a thud. Barely having time to roll out of the way, Lightning just managed to miss getting her face clawed and stood, clutching at her ribs.

"So, you're smart enough to adapt to my fighting style, but not smart enough to overcome the beast? Really, Fang?" Lightning drawled, annoyed at the ludicrousness of the situation. She sucked in a pained breath, and counted at least two broken ribs from the pangs in her chest. "You are going to owe me more than a foot rub later on, you know…"

Trying to heal herself as she avoided the talons coming down at her, she cried out as one decisive slash hit its mark, drawing angry red lines along her stomach. Lightning was fed up with the proceedings, and snarled back at Ragnarok. "You asshole!"

In a move that startled the beast, Lightning threw her sword straight at it, and then lurched forward and clocked it on the jaw. It seemed to knock the monster off kilter, and it staggered backwards. Lightning stalked it and forced it into the corner with a savage growl from her own lips. If Fang wasn't going to respond with reason, she'd speak the language of the beast as well.

Ragnarok eyed the pinkette warily and raised its upper lip in defiance of the soldier, earning a shove back into the corner of the cell.

"Enough!" Lightning snapped, picking up her blade and pressing the sharp curve against the beast's throat. "Enough, Fang. Please." She repeated a little quieter. The choked sob that came from her throat caused Ragnarok to tense, then press back a little as Lightning leant forward and wrapped her arms around the beast's neck. "Please come back to me…" Lightning whispered in the beast's ear, feeling the tears slip from her cheeks onto its shoulder.

The pinkette moved back as she heard a low whine escaped Ragnarok's throat. The eyes were still white and the beast was still very present, but Fang could be seen behind the eyes, in the concerned crease of the blue brow. "There you are..." Lightning murmured with a smile and leant forward to kiss Ragnarok on the lips, knowing the brunette was in there to feel it.

The beast looked down at the clawed hands that trembled a little. Lightning patted the back of one gently while she used her other hand to heal her injuries. "Good thing I like you, Fang. Anyone else did this to me and I'd be having some pretty stern words..."

A low repetitive huff came from the monster, and she realised it was laughing. "Oh, you think that's funny do you?" Ragnarok replied by nuzzling into her neck with a sound that resembled a purr. Lightning ran a tentative hand through the orange and white mane that protruded from the top of its head and was surprised by the softness. As she continued stroking the mane, it gave way to dark hair and a far more familiar lithe form. Fang looked up at Lightning from her place buried in the pale neck and wrapped her arms around her waist tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Light..." she whispered, her voice strained. Planting delicate kisses along the soldier's jaw, trying to make up for the injuries she'd unwittingly inflicted. Lightning smiled and ran her hands down the bare spine, shielding her dignity from the cameras and Vanille as best she could. The pinkette guided Fang's gaze up by the jaw and kissed her gently, reassurance that all was fine, even if she did feel a little tender after the beating at the hands of Ragnarok. This was what she signed up for after all.

"Now you know what it's like to completely lose control. Now, we can work our way back from there. You owe me dinner. Try not to burn it this time. You ready to go again?"

Fang's eyes looked fearful, but she still closed her eyes and nodded regardless. "Vanille, hit the noise again," Lightning called out and kissed the brunette once more for good measure. "I'm right here, Fang. Where you go, I go."

She let go and moved back to get a safe distance between them as Fang mentally prepared herself for another onslaught. The noise started again and rattled her skull. She clenched her jaw as the familiar feelings rose again, and once more she moved forward onto her hands and knees as the transformation took over. Before too long, a growling Ragnarok was back, crouched dangerously in front of the pinkette.

"Come on, Fang. You've got this. I know you do. I don't give my heart to people not willing to fight for it."

The beast's brow raised and eyes widened. There was a swish of the enormous tail, as if contemplative. Suddenly it brought its tail around, knocking Lightning off her feet. Ragnarok was on her in seconds, leaning ominously over the soldier. Lightning swallowed hard and stared into the ice white eyes that considered her. A twitch of its lip showed teeth ready to snap at her with a low growl, and Vanille was yelling out from inside the booth in a blind panic.

"Vanille, easy. Just, wait a minute." Lightning said slowly and quietly to silence the redhead, gesturing at the beast on top of her. "You're in there, I know. You're just feeling things out. It's ok. I'm not going anywhere, remember?"

Suddenly the piercing gaze softened and Ragnarok leant forward with a smile. Lightning tensed, for the briefest moment fearing the worst before she felt lips press against her own. Her eyes opened and she found the beast threading the most gentle of claws through her pale hair.

Lightning had a fleeting thought of whether this would be considered cheating if it wasn't technically Fang, but there was the lowest tone of a chuckle from the throat of the beast that all but confirmed that it was Fang, gaining control.

"This better not be an introduction to the bedroom in that form, Fang… I have… Limits." She said once they'd parted for air, Ragnarok licking her lips.

"What can I… Say…" The beast replied, in Fang's voice but raspier, deeper, harsher than the usual melodious accent, "Like to… Keep you on… Edge… More ways… Than one…"

Lightning's eyebrows rose and she smacked the beast on the chest. "You're a cheeky shit." She replied with a scowl, pushing Ragnarok off her.

Vanille sat at the console in the booth, her head in her hands. "Children. I am surrounded by children." She complained to an empty room.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year the lot of you! We're moving on and soaring into the futureeeeee!

The low whistle cut across the ship yard as Fang came to a stop before the warship. They had buffed and polished the aircraft to a brilliant finish, far more than anything she'd witnessed he last time anything from this fleet had been airborne. Frankly, with the war going on nobody had time for a "decorative finish" on anything.

Working with Lightning for the last several months on the issues with her inner demons becoming outer demons had been taxing but overall progressive. She still hadn't mastered being able to shift into Ragnarok at will, but was at least far enough along that her instincts did it on autopilot when she or anyone she cared about was in danger.

Fang tied her hair back in a loose elastic as she watched the workers racing to finish the last of the mountings on the ship. Noting the length, she contemplated hitting up Vanille for a haircut before they left.

"Gil for your thoughts?" Came an amused, gruff voice from behind her. Sazh sidled up alongside the Pulsian and gave an appreciative nod towards the vessel. "She's quite impressive. Your generals would have been proud of her." He noted, receiving a quiet nod from Fang in response. "I'll have to brush up on my Pulsian to figure out the controls."

The brunette huffed and rolled her eyes at the comment, turning to her friend with a smack on his arm. "Don't fret  _dad..._ They retrofitted the consoles and equipment in there so there's not a speck of Pulsian as soon as you get inside and- wait. What?" She stared at the smug grin on his face and scratched at her hair in confusion.

"I'm coming with you, you dolt." He replied with a laugh, watching her expression shift from shock to excitement. Sazh just barely managed to keep his footing as the Pulsian crashed into him with a giant hug. "Somebody has to come keep you out of trouble, and we all know Lightning isn't up for that job. She invites just as much chaos as you do."

"I'm sure she'd take offense at that comment."

"The first time I met her she blew up a train and waged her own personal army of one against Sanctum's troops." He deadpanned with a sardonic tick of his eyebrow.

"... Point taken."

They stood side by side with Sazh holding a protective arm around Fang's shoulder while they observed the construction. "You gonna be ok with this trip?"

Fang remained silent, careful how she would answer. His question had a million layers and about another million conflicting answers awaited exit from her mind. They could find nothing but ruins, they could find a civilisation that was the remnants of her people. If they found her people alive they could welcome her with open arms and kill the rest, they could string her up for her failure, they could hesitantly craft a path towards peace between the worlds for the first time in history. Or they could kick start the war all over again.

"To be advised, Sazh. To be advised. I'm hopeful, I'm terrified, I'm angry that we're even taking this risk to potentially stir shit up again after we've finally found peace. But to do nothing invites just as much danger."

Sazh nodded, pre-empting the answer. "To know is better than ignorance huh?"

Fang nodded in agreement with a quiet hum. A week from today, the ship would be airborne and begin its trek across the western sea. By now the public knew if its existence, but was currently being downplayed as a research expedition. Which wasn't a lie, they just omitted the key information regarding the possible existence of the remnants of her people.

"Are you sure, Sazh? We don't know what we'll find."

He took her by the hand and patted it gently. "After everything we went through together, everything it took to get my son back... I'm not willing to take the risk of inaction, or let you go through it alone. We're all family."

A brilliant, toothy smile spread across Fang's face and she drew Sazh into a tight hug. "You're alright, funny man."

* * *

The week came and went faster than Fang was prepared for. The eve of their voyage found the Pulsian standing out on the deck of their home, overlooking the rest of New Bodhum. She leant on the railing and bit her lip, thinking about whether she was going to see this place again. A strange sort of peace had fallen on her, on Lightning, in the wake of gaining most of her control over Ragnarok.

Fang never thought she could settle down, be content, look forward to lazy days and peaceful nights. She recalled her earlier words to Lightning, that night the soldier came for her in Oerba. She could see herself now having a peaceful life on the Steppe and looked forward to it.

Soft hands made their way around her waist and she smiled, leaning back into the arms of her partner. Tilting her head to the side, she gave room for Lightning to plant kisses along the cord of her shoulder, nibbling a little at the base of her neck.

"What's gotten into you there?" Fang murmured, her jaw hanging open with a sharp inhale as she felt the pinkette's hands start to wander.

"You, mostly." Lightning replied with a purr against her skin. "I know tomorrow is going to be pretty big for all of us, but I'm more concerned about you than anyone else."

There was once a time where the soldier's concern would have irritated Fang and wounded her pride. But with how far she had come and how far they had come together, Lightning's words only made her heart swell.

"I've got you, so I think I'm going to be fine."

They stood silently for a while, just content to gaze out over the town. Fang heard the pinkette take a deep breath and hold it, before releasing her hold. The Pulsian's back felt cool from where the night air was now hitting it and she turned to bury herself back in her partner's arms. Instead she found Lightning looking pensively at the rest of the village below them from their spot on the outskirts.

"We'll see it again, Light. We've been through far worse, haven't we? I held up your entire bloody world for three years. I think we can take a sky cruise across the ocean and back without too much –mmph!"

"Don't. Tempt. The Gods. Fang." Lightning warned, her hand clamped firmly over the brunette's mouth. "How many times do I have to tell you?" The pinkette suddenly burst out laughing as Fang pulled her into her arms and buried her face in the pale hair.

"I love you, you know that?"

"Yeah, and you're lucky I love you too." Lightning replied with a subtle twitch of her lips. "Come on, big day tomorrow, let's head in. Serah's swinging by in the morning to grab the keys before we go so she can look after the place while we're gone."

The two women made their way inside and fell into bed together, doing whatever they could to ease their fears for what was to come when the sun rose. Despite their wandering hands, exploring lips and pleasured gasps both could still feel the tension wracking each other's bodies.

Neither commented on it, as there was nothing more to say on the matter. Tomorrow they would embark on a new journey, and hope that they will both return home.

By the dawn, they were both up and getting ready, but Lightning kissed Fang on the cheek gently and told her to head into the docks, as she had to wait for Serah to show up to get the keys. The Pulsian was reluctant but suspected her partner was up to something else, a surprise perhaps. In the time that she had known the pinkette, Lightning wasn't as much of a closed book as she liked to think she was. She gave a wave and headed off, leaving the soldier to stare at the closed door behind her.

The silence was deafening in the house, and Lightning realised it was the first time in almost a year that it had been empty like this. Once she might have cherished the silence but now it was just cold and unwelcoming. A knock at the door startled her from her thoughts and she paced over to answer, thankful to get this all underway.

A frown crossed her features when Serah stoodnin the doorway, looking nervous. "Hey Claire," She greeted, "You all... Ready for today?"

The pinkette fought to not get emotional at her words. "As much as I'll ever be. Did you get a hold of what I'd asked for?" The young Farron nodded cheerfully and pulled the box out from behind her.

"Yep, as requested. Vanille pulled it and a bunch of others like it from that vault in Oerba that they were able to salvage from Yama's damage anyway."

A genuine smile crossed her face and she nodded, taking the box from her hands. "Thank you, Serah. Take the keys and head off, I'll see you down at the docks. I'll just close the door behind me when I'm done." Lightning said quietly, She closed the door and took the box to the bench, smiling broadly as she took the lid off.

"Perfect."

* * *

Fang puttered air through her lips as she shifted her weight from foot to foot on the pier at Academia Port. Waiting for the others was becoming aggravating, and she fidgeted nervously with her sari. Vanille skipped up alongside her, wearing her own traditional Pulsian attire, and wrapped her hands around her adopted sibling's arm.

"We're going to be fine, Fang. We've got state of the art equipment on board, there's four smaller aircraft on board which will each individually fit our entire crew if something goes wrong, and Hope has been working on long range communicators to transmit information back here. Amodar and Rygdea are coordinating from here, and... Organising defensive measures and reinforcements if needed."

The redhead ducked, waiting for the inevitable explosion. She opened her eyes after a few moments when it didn't come to find Fang with a resigned expression on her face. "Good thinking, Vanille," She said, exhaling slowly. "Any other good ideas before we set off?"

A sly grin came from the younger Oerban as she took a quick glance behind her. "Oh, I dunno," She replied scratching her cheek, "I think I have one or two ones left up my sleeve..." Vanille drawled, walking away with a wave. Fang narrowed her eyes and rubbed the back of her neck.

"You're not even wearing sleeves!" She yelled out after her, jumping at the feeling of a hand on her shoulder. A smile crossed her face when she recognised the gentle touch, and relaxed a little. "About time you showed up."

A chuckle tickled her ear as Lightning's arms wrapped around her. "Sorry I'm late, had something I had to pick up. What do you think?" She asked. Fang turned to query what she was talking about but any comments vanished from her mind at the sight of her.

"What… What are you…"

Lightning blushed and straightened out the sari she wore, the purple silk fabric accenting the traditional scout armour beneath it. "Vanille thought it would be a good idea to dress as a Pulsian would have on our way over there, if we run into anyone it may assist in them not shooting first and asking questions later."

Fang just gaped at her, not able to form words. The last time she saw a Pulsian scout was when one was getting shot out of the sky during the war. There was something both simultaneously thrilling and terrifying to see her partner now in the same attire. It suited her, and the deep purple scarf was an amusing nod to her constant need to wear a cape. Her belt was tied off around the sari, which held her trusted gunblade firmly behind her.

"You look… Beautiful, Light." She finally got out, pulling the pinkette close by the sari. "Beautiful  _and_  tactical. You really are the perfect woman."

The pinkette smacked her lightly on the arm with a laugh and stood quietly next to her, looking up at the huge war ship. Fang took a deep breath and held it, before taking the soldier by the hand and moving towards the vessel.

"Come on, let's get this over with before I start turning blue."

They moved onto the gangway and walked up to the main deck, fingers entwined. The Pulsian could feel her heart speeding up with every step she took. "Just take the time you need, Fang. They won't leave the port until I tell them we're ready."

"No I'm… I'm ready now. Let's go."

Lightning smiled and tugged her by the hand. "Come on, there's something else I want to show you." Fang allowed herself to be led onto the ship, the interior painstakingly restored to its former glory, possibly even better. The advanced technology of Cocoon had merged with the old-world aesthetic of the Pulsian vessel, bridging the two worlds together.

"I'll show you our quarters shortly, but first… In here." Lightning whispered, punching in a code to a door and letting it slide open. Inside was the recreational room, carefully rebuilt with wooden panelling and metal trimming, restored couches and a card table in the back. Fang immediately noticed Lebreau behind the bar and laughed.

"Couldn't stay away from the opportunity to pour me a drink, could… You…" The Pulsian trailed off, mid-quip as her gaze drifted to the left. There, on the metal wall beside the bar was a mural of herself as Ragnarok and her breath caught in her throat. Beneath it was neat, engraved text in her language that read  _Pride of Pulse_.

"We commissioned an artist from Palumpolum to so something better than what we found when we salvaged the wreckage. You are the pride of Pulse, Fang. This whole vessel is going to open up our world one way or another, all while being mindful of our roots, where we've all come from. The ship is named after your home, yours and Vanille's."

There wasn't any point trying to hide the tears as they fell from Fang's eyes, emotions overwhelming to the point of her trembling. Lightning held her close as she heard the rumbling of the engines starting up well below them.

"Welcome on board the Spirit of Oerba."

* * *

 

"Systems check, this is Katzroy to base, over." Sazh announced over the communicators, bringing everything online. He fancied himself an experienced pilot but was beyond grateful for the simulations he trained in over the last few months to get used to the controls and manoeuvring. He'd never flown anything this large before. The ship rivalled the size of the Palamecia and the Lindblum, and even though he was the chief pilot for the vessel there were at least fifteen other co-pilots under his command on the bridge.

" _Reading you loud and clear,_ " Hope replied back at the HQ in Academia. He had decided to stay behind with Amodar and Rygdea to oversee the technological aspects of their endeavour... That and his father likely wouldn't have let him leave. Sazh frowned at the thought. How much of a hypocrite did that make him when he had brought his son along with him? " _Everyone on board and accounted for?_ "

"Pretty much."

Lightning looked around from her spot on the bridge to find Fang nowhere to be found. She hadn't been shown their quarters yet, so was immediately concerned.

"She's up on the deck with Vanille." Sazh called over his shoulder, punching in the last of the calibrations before waiting for clearance. The soldier nodded in thanks and made her way through the ship to get to the exit. She pulled open the hefty steel door and stepped out onto the open roof, which in its time would have been used for launching warplanes off the deck. She even spied a few smaller ships parked nearby, mechanics crawling all over them to make final adjustments and ensure they were secure.

The pinkette found the Oerbans standing at the front of the deck, the wind tussling Fang's hair about as she stood with an arm around Vanille's shoulder. Lightning approached and placed a hand on her back, stroking the bare skin beneath the sari with her thumb. She could feel the corded tension, and the slight catch with every careful inhale. When the engines started whirring, the soldier was surprised at the level of noise. It was far quieter than she was anticipating for a machine of this size, and she felt Fang laughing through the hand I on her back.

"Viper ingenuity," the brunette joked, remembering how deafening the warships used to be over the city. Lightning only just managed to hear the quip over the roar of the engines and rolled her eyes. All three of them felt their stomachs drop as the vessel began to lurch from the ground.

" _O' Fal'Cie, I beseech thee, return me to my home.. That I may sleep a crystal sleep, not a Cie'th to roam_." Fang's voice was deep and soulful, and Lightning stared in shock. She knew the brunette could hold a note from the times she'd heard her humming while meditating or cooking. But this was the first time she'd heard her sing, putting words to the tune heard many times before.

" _O' Fal'Cie, I beseech thee, have mercy on my soul.. I have served for clan and kin, to pay the mournful toll. All I've done for hearth and home, a focus I can nay recall. By Etro's blessing I stand and sing, fighting true for all_."

Even the mechanics nearby had stopped what they were doing and listened, and Vanille had joined in as well, her voice softer and adding harmonies that offset the husky drone of Fang's voice. " _O' Fal'Cie, I beseech thee, return me to the plains.. Overlooking my love, my land and home, as the Cocoon wanes. All I've lived and loved and lost, I did so without fear. But now I wish to see my lands as the dark end nears_."

Lightning felt an arm slip around her and Fang drew her into an embrace. She rest her head in the crook of the Pulsian's neck, watching the skyline of Academia start to shrink as the ship slowly ascended. " _O' Fal'Cie, I beseech thee, return me to my home.. That I may sleep a crystal sleep, not a Cie'th to roam_." Fang finished with a whisper, and felt Vanille hug her tightly. The three women remained close, until Sazh's voice blared over the intercom for all personnel on the deck to get inside before their altitude got any higher.

"Come on, let's go see the rest of the ship and our quarters." Lightning said, taking the brunette by the waist and giving Vanille a comforting squeeze on the shoulder with her other free hand.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am in single digits til moving day! Upside- HOUSE. TO. MYSELF. WITH NO. FRIGGIN. IN-LAWS. Downside- we all know Telstra is going to fuck up the internet relocation so.... You know, I might be offline for a week or two depending on how it goes. So I'm going to try to update everything before next week! As always, you're amazing, thanks for reading, hoorayimuseful. tumblr. com if you want updates art and renders in relation to these and other fics.

Fang lay sprawled on the bed in their quarters, which she was more than satisfied with in terms of its size. If only the matron from the orphanage could see her now. Captain's quarters in a Pulsian warship.

"Ha. Suck it, Yifat, you uppity old bat." She murmured happily to herself.

Lightning looked up from her spot at the desk at the sound of the brunette's voice and smiled. Almost a week into travel and thus far no issues. She knew it wouldn't last, whatever they found would mean hard work, adventure and very likely danger. But until then she would enjoy the peace of the drifting over the clouds and the sea.

They would spend the sunsets out on the deck, Sazh lowering the altitude enough for people to go out and sky watch, and dimming the lights on the ship once the sun set to illuminate the night sky. Even Fang wasn't able to continue regaling the pinkette with stories of the stars, lost in the beauty of the darkness.

"Hey, Fang?"

"Hmm?" The Pulsian hummed from her comfy position on the bed. She felt the mattress dip as Lightning climbed onto it and grinned, pulling the soldier on top of her. An undignified squeak escaped Lightning's mouth and she scowled, knowing full well that the expression no longer had any effect. Fang just simply found it adorable.

"I was wondering, did you want to go downstairs for a drink? We don't have much else going on, and it'd be good to catch up with people."

"You? Social? You runnin' a fever?"

"Oh hah hah. You want to go or not?"

The Pulsian nodded and sat up, straightening the shirt she wore that had ridden up from her constant stretching on the bed. She was delighted by the distracted dart of her partner's eyes as they snapped to the skin on her torso. She pulled Lightning against her, making a contented sound in her throat as the pinkette's arms moved automatically around her waist.

"We fit well together, don't you think?" Fang whispered against the soldier's ear, indulging in playing with the pale hair and causing the shorter woman to shiver. She received a light smack against her side as Lightning untangled herself and gave a small grin.

"If you want to go for that drink we'd better leave now, before we  _fit together_  for the rest of the evening."

Fang smirked and followed her up the small steps to the door, feeling happy and relaxed for the first time in ages. Her thoughts drifted from Lightning to the rest of her impromptu family and she frowned, remembering a key absence from the docks the day they left.

"Random question. You heard from Serah on the comms?" She asked as they made their way to the elevator. Lightning shook her head and worried at her lip.

"No. I haven't. Hope hasn't heard from her either. I think she might still be mad that I told her to stay behind. She came to grab the keys and was fine that morning but then I didn't see her... At the port..."

Her eyes narrowed and Fang flinched, following the soldier's train of thought. "You don't think that... Surely not. We haven't seen her or Snow on board?"

Lightning didn't respond, merely quickened her pace towards the bar as she felt her temper rise. For once she hoped she was wrong. She prayed to the Goddess Etro that she was wrong. The door slid open and Lebreau looked startled as the pinkette strode into the room.

"H-hey Light, here for a night cap?" the bartender squeaked, feeling the soldier's scrutiny like it was burning her skin.

"Where. Are. They." Lightning ground through her teeth. The room was so silent it hurt the Pulsian's ears. Fang sighed and strolled behind the bar to help herself, narrowly avoiding tripping over the two hiding bodies in the process. She fixed herself a drink slowly throughout the tense silence, not saying anything while she took a long sip.

"Look, you can either stay down there like a pack of idiots or you can come clean and get it over with. Lebreau this is one tasty liqueur, I hope you've stocked more of it." Fang drawled, her casual demeanour contrasting the anger pouring off the pinkette in waves. A long sigh drew out from below the counter and Serah slowly stood, followed closely by Snow, who kept the younger Farron between him and the glowering soldier as a shield.

"You. With me. Now." Lightning snapped, pointing at her sister. Serah swallowed hard and tensed her shoulders, walking out from behind the counter and following the soldier from the bar. Snow moved to go after them but was grabbed by Fang around the arm. She pulled him back to the stool and motioned for Lebreau to hand him a beer.

"I'd recommend not following. You and I  _both_  know she has a mean right hook."

Snow sat down and side-eyed the brunette, as if he expected a trap. "You're... Remarkably calm about this." He cautiously observed while the Pulsian chuckled and swirled the drink in her glass.

"Haven't you been keeping up with the news? Getting stressed is dangerous for me these days, so I try to just take things as they come. While our Sunshine has a few more things to work through with her own anger issues, I am content to sit here and have a drink."

The blonde smiled and brought his can up, which Fang clinked her glass against. "Here's to Lightning not killing your fiancé, I guess." She said with a twitch of her lips, while Snow groaned into his beverage. "Why is she still your fiancé anyway? Haven't you two gone through the ceremony yet?"

"We were... Waiting on you and Vanille to come home. Waiting to make sure you were... You know, better."

Fang smiled broadly and they bumped wrists. "It doesn't bother me that you're here, Snow. I personally welcome it. Don't tell Light I said that though."

* * *

 

Lightning had found a storage area down by engineering that was out of the way, and the hum of the engines would more than suffice to drown out any screaming, or gunshots. She stared at her sister with folded arms and Serah simply mirrored the expression, both waiting to see who would crack first.

With a huff, the elder Farron dropped her arms and placed her hands on her hips, beyond exasperated at this point. "I honestly don't know what to be more impressed by. The stupidity of you being here, or that you've somehow managed to hide both yourself and your six foot fiancé from me for the better part of a week. Lebreau was in on it wasn't she?"

"So what if she was?" Sarah snapped back, refusing to be intimidated by her sibling. "I wasn't about to let you go on this trek across the world where I was just going to sit back and wait for a call that something had happened to you."

Lightning opened her mouth to give a scathing retort but was surprised by the younger Farron stepping into her space and jamming a finger into her sternum.

"No. No. And no. You don't get to start the whole overprotective...  _Thing_  all over again. That was what landed us in this whole L'Cie mess in the first place."

The words came like a slap to the face and stung her to the core. It was her overbearing need to protect the last remnant of her family that pushed Serah away in the first place, that set them on the chaotic path that brought down Cocoon's entire way of life. She couldn't say one way or another if things would have turned out different, she was glad things didn't turn out different but... Any argument she had suddenly deflated and she sat down on the stairs, her head in her hands.

"Do you really resent me for everything that happened after our parents died?" She whispered. Serah looked mildly panicked by the rapid shift in her sister's demeanour. She sat down next to the older pinkette and placed one hand on her knee, and the other around her back.

"Why would you think that?"

"The way you rebelled so hard against anything I tried to do to... I was so scared of losing you too, yet in the end I did exactly that anyway. I pushed you away because you hated me taking on the responsibility to keep us both out of the system and in our home."

Serah's heart broke at the thought of hating her sister. "Claire... No I don't resent you and I don't hate you. I was angry, back then. I wanted you to be my sister, not my parent. But I understand now that I'm older why you did whatever you had to so that we didn't get separated."

"I'm scared of something going wrong on this trip. There is so much that could go wrong..."

The younger Farron rubbed her sister's back to try to offer any comfort she could, worried at seeing her in this state. "We live on Gran Pulse now, Claire. Most of the people that could  _protect_  me are here on this ship. New Bodhum could get flattened by an adamantoise tomorrow. Or another Fal'Cie could crop up and brand us all."

Lightning had to concede the point. At least she could keep an eye on her while they were away.

"That's not to say I'm willing to stay on the sidelines either. I'm a pretty good shot, I learnt from the best. Snow is here with me too because you are his family too. Just as much as Fang, Vanille, Sazh and Dajh are our family as well. We're here to protect-"

" _We're here to protect you too, you bloody idiot!" Fang snapped, pushing into the soldier's space. "Stop trying to take all of Cocoon onto your damn shoulders!"_

_The rest of the group remained silent while the two women stared each other down. Sazh took Vanille by the shoulders and whispered about going to find herbs, making a tactful retreat. Snow and Hope decided to do the same, muttering about scouting the area._

_The tall stalks swayed in the gentle breeze, the only sound in the immediate vicinity. They had chosen to take a detour through Vallis Media hunting for a mark that carried more surprises than one. Not only was it an alpha beast that dwarfed the gorgonopsids on the Steppe, it had amassed a following of the smaller fiends that ambushed them as soon as the group approached._

_Lightning went it alone as per usual, trying to keep everyone else from harm. She trained for this, and with the powers of the L'Cie she was faster, stronger... Possibly more stubborn too. A lucky swipe at the back of her leg had her drop to the ground and had a gorgonopsid on her, biting into her arm savagely. It was inches from her throat before it was pierced through the side from a familiar red lance._

_The Pulsian was more than angry, starting an argument the instant the alpha beast was slain. Now, they stood in silence, Lightning still clutching her arm against her torso tightly, in an attempt to stem the bleeding. Fang threw her hands in the air and let them drop to her sides. "What the hell is your damage, Light? I'm meant to be the reckless moron and here you are throwing yourself into the fray, damn the consequences."_

_With a click of her tongue, the pinkette looked away as the huntress approached. "I don't have to worry about anyone else. It's easier that way."_

" _That's bullshit and you know it."_

_Lightning stepped forward and shoved Fang backwards, grimacing at the pain in her arm. "What's it matter to you anyway? Why would you care if I go and get myself killed? Aren't we all just vipers to you?"_

" _No, you're closer to family now, and all we got left." Fang said quietly, startling the soldier into silence and stillness. "Look around you, Light. This is it. I don't believe for a second that we will find anyone else alive down here."_

_Lightning shook her head, disbelieving the nihilistic outlook. "You can't give up-"_

" _It's not about giving up, Sunshine," Fang laughed bitterly, "These plains would be teeming with hunters this time of year while the game is good. We've doubled back from the sub-terra to get a few more marks before heading onto Oerba, but we haven't come across anyone yet. If none of the usual settlements are here, there's going to be nobody back home."_

_The Pulsian's voice broke on the last few words, and Lightning watched her blink back tears. "So yeah, I do care if you go and get killed." She croaked, gently taking the soldier's arm and applying any curas she could muster. "I'm not as good at this as Vanille or Hope, but I figure you're about as stubborn as I am when it comes to injuries and showing weakness so... Hopefully it's enough."_

_Lightning looked away, tears stinging at her own eyes. She felt tanned fingers sliding around her jaw and guiding her face back to find Fang standing close. Threatening to lose herself in the jade eyes watching her, she swallowed hard as the huntress leant forward._

" _Try to stick around with us to the end, Light. I'm getting too fond of your bitchy stubbornness to lose you now." Fang said with a grin, breaking the mood with her candour. She let go of the soldier and sauntered away, not before throwing the final word over her shoulder._

" _You're not alone in this, Lightning. So don't try to be."_

"… Claire?"

Lightning shook herself out of her memory and stared at the faint scars that ran along her arm. "You will be in the hangar tomorrow, after breakfast."

"If you think you're sticking me on a jet and sending me ba-mmph!" The elder Farron placed a hand over Serah's mouth to stifle the protests.

"After breakfast. With Snow. I'm going to put you through basic training. I need to see if you've been keeping up with your self-defence, and then after lunch we're going up to the deck so I can see you handle a weapon."

The younger pinkette's eyes glistened with tears as Lightning slowly removed her hand. "You mean it?" She asked, hesitant and disbelieving.

"I do, yes. If you're staying you're expected to pull your weight on the ship and you'll be expected to know how to defend yourself. So, after breakfast."

Lightning quickly stood and turned on the steps, before Serah pulled her back down them and into a hug. "Thank you, sis." She whispered against the soldier's neck. After a few moments the embrace was returned, and they stayed there a while, quiet save for the hum of the engines below them.

* * *

 

"Hmmmm."

Fang looked up from the datapad she was reading and frowned. "Sazh, you're at the helm of a giant ship resurrected from the scrap yard. I can't begin to tell you how much I don't like that sound coming from your mouth."

The pilot turned and stood from his chair, stretching to pop the bones in his neck. "It's nothing concerning," he replied, rolling his shoulders.

"I sense a  _but._ " The Pulsian drawled, unimpressed.

" _But_ , the engines are overheating a little. It's been a week and we've been going non-stop with a little over halfway to the Safe Zone. We will have to touch down somewhere soon and get the engineers to check it out before it becomes a problem."

The  _Safe Zone_  was the designated area that would be the base of operations for the ship to touch down. Far enough off the coast of the lands they deciphered on the map, but close enough to run scouting missions with the smaller jets.

The Pulsian sighed and brought up the map on the large screen on the bridge. They'd have to find somewhere safe enough to touch down, with no evidence of active civilisation, but with resources for the others to track down while the ship was being seen to.

"There. There's a chain of islands arranged in a weird fashion about thirty klicks east of our current position."

Sazh brought up the coordinates and nodded in agreement. "This bird will double as a sailer if we need to, it'll be a good time to test it in the shallow waters nearby. Go get your girl and scout the area, scanners are picking up some sort of ruins."

With a lazy salute and a huge grin, Fang leapt over the railing on the bridge and raced down the corridor to the elevators. She passed Vanille in the hall as she was coming out of her quarters and waved. "Looks like we get to go stretch our legs for a little while, 'Nille. They've found some ruins nearby and we don't have records of anyone out this far!"

The redhead's jaw snapped shut mid-yawn and she was suddenly very wide awake. "Light's up on the deck with Serah running through target practice. I'll go get a jet prepped."

"You're not flying it." Fang replied and ignored the rude gesture she received in return. She impatiently rode the elevator up to the deck, tapping her foot with equal parts excitement and trepidation. She instinctively ducked when the doors open and the sound of gun shots rang out. It took a couple of seconds of controlled breathing to calm her racing heart when she remembered that Serah was up on the deck running drills with Lightning.

As she approached, she saw a warm smile on the pinkette's face and leant in to kiss her on the cheek. Lightning stole her lips instead for a more thorough morning greeting, not caring that her sister was standing right there with wide eyes. The soldier suddenly blushed, realising that was the first time she'd shown any public displays of affection with Fang. She cleared her throat and stepped back, nudging the Pulsian with her hip.

"There a reason we're decelerating  _and_  descending?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ship needs to be looked at," Fang replied, holding up her hands before anyone could panic, "it's nothing serious, just being proactive so it doesn't become a problem. We've found some islands nearby that could be worth an investigation while we're waiting, you keen?"

Lightning smiled and nodded, turning back to Serah with a squeeze of her shoulder. "I would like if you stayed here, if that's alright." She said quietly, causing both her sister and partner's eyebrows to raise respectively. "You've got a better aim from the last time I saw you at the range, but your reflexes are a little short. Practice for me over the next couple of hours, and I'll test you when I get back."

"Alright," Serah relented, knowing that this was new that her sister wasn't demanding she stay but giving her the opportunity to defy if she truly wanted to. She didn't miss the relief in her sibling's eyes and shook her head. "But you're testing me the minute you get back."

"Fair enough."

Fang took the pinkette by the waist and led her away from the impromptu range they'd set up and over to the jet Vanille was prepping. "You're doing very well, with your sister there." The Pulsian observed, and Lightning clicked her tongue.

"I figured it would be hypocritical not to work on my stress levels while constantly telling you to do the same."

They got into the jet and Lightning settled into the pilot seat, calibrating the controls to her liking. They were airborne within minutes, not interested in waiting for the warship to reach ground. The small craft soared through the clouds, before dipping back down sharply towards the ocean. The pinkette was being a little reckless with the controls, but they were long overdue for some fun. Vanille squealed and clapped her hands as Lightning did another dive towards the island they'd found.

"Look! You can see giant spires from the ground!"

Fang peered out the window as the jet levelled out, seeing large structures sticking out of the ground at odd angles. They didn't look like any kind of building she remembered, or even any rational architecture from any other civilisation that wasn't Pulsian. They looked like spears, she noted, taking images for the database.

The jet touched down on the beach, a pristine white sand bar that stretched for a few kilometres either side from where they landed. Vanille jumped out and started running up the beach towards the nearest ruin at the edge of the trees. Fang stretched as she exited the jet, yawning loudly.

"This sun's damn nice, shoulda brought a towel and take a nap."

"And leave Vanille to whatever trouble she could get into?"

"... Valid point. Let's go."

They jogged up the beach, nudging at each other before their competitive natures got the best of them and they broke out in a sprint. Lightning was always going to win, and she slowed at the edges of the trees with a laugh.

"One... Day... I'll ... Get you..." Fang panted, bending over and resting her hands on her thighs as she caught her breath.

"Mmm perhaps. But definitely not any time soon if that performance was anything to go by..."

Fang's look of outrage at the jab would be enough to fuel the pinkette for days to come. They followed the overgrown path through to where Vanille was crouched, taking scans of the broken pillar.

"The markings are...  _Definitely_ Pulsian." The redhead breathed, her hands shaking with excitement. "But... They pre-date the War of Transgressions. These ruins are  _old._ "

The other two women looked at each other with surprise. "What do the markings say?" Lightning asked, intrigued at the implications of an early Pulsian settlement older than her companions.

"Hard to say, it's pretty eroded. All I can make out is that it's a warning. For what? I dunno."

The pinkette instinctively reached behind her and gripped at the hilt on her weapon. When Fang gave her an exasperated look she shrugged and gestured at the air around her.

"Don't care if these ruins are five thousand years old. A warning is a warning."

They spent the next few hours sifting through the rubble and ruins, moving through the jungle carefully. Fang felt itchy the deeper in they went. It was a familiar feeling, one that she had discovered was usually a precursor to her turning into Ragnarok.

"How are you holding up there?" Lightning asked quietly as they carefully climbing up a gully and took a rest at the top.

Fang tilted her hand horizontally with an uncertain noise in her throat. She leant against a tree observing the jungle beyond them. There was something on the edge of her awareness here, something she couldn't place and it made her nervous. She kept quiet about it though, not wanting to seem paranoid or like she was losing control. The pinkette's lips thinned as she watched her partner. She'd spent enough time training with Fang to see the signs. She pulled out her comms device and dialled up the ship.

"How's it going back there?" She asked as Sazh answered.

" _Good, engines just needed a rest for a while. They're not designed to have this long haul travel for so long. If we keep an eye on it we'll be fine."_

Lightning looked back over at Fang and saw the narrowed eyes and flare of her nostrils, as if she were trying to literally sniff out the island's secrets. "How much longer will we need?"

" _Couple of hours, give or take_."

"Take, Sazh. At this point, take. Get the ship back away from the island just in case we need to make a sudden exit."

If she listened carefully, the pinkette could hear Sazh swearing away from his headset. " _For the love of... What have you found?_ "

"Nothing yet. Just... Just a feeling. I'll be in touch." She replied, hanging up and pocketing the device. With a gesture at the two Oerbans they continued on further into the island landscape.

Soft humming could be heard from the older Pulsian as they walked. Vanille was taking photos and skipping ahead, scanning the ruins and collecting samples. They hadn't run into anything dangerous for hours.  _Not even wildlife_ , Fang thought with an annoyed twitch of her eye. Her pace slowed with that realization until she came to a stop. Kneeling down, she scooped up a handful of dirt with a frown.

"There's nothing here..." the brunette muttered to herself. A part of her tried to draw the logical conclusion that the island was too isolated, but even that didn't stack up. There weren't even insects. Or remnants of deceased animals. No bones, no old nests, nothing. As a hunter it unsettled her. This was a place of death.

Vanille waved with a yell, drawing her from her thoughts. When she and Lightning approached, there was a huge statue that bore a barely visible mark on its chest that despite the erosion all three knew what it was.

"That's a L'cie brand." Lightning whispered, looking around at the nearby spires. Fang pursed her lips and suppressed a growl, her hackles well and truly raised at this point. She ran her hands over a vine covered portion to find an old stone carving that had been protected by the elements a little better from its natural encasing. With s frown, the brunette brushed the plants away and traced the carvings with her fingertips.

"Karr'yatha… Place of… Arachna?" Fang translated slowly, before paling. Oh. Fuck."

"What?" Lightning asked, not having time to get an answer when the Pulsian grabbed her by the arm and dragged her backwards, already breaking into a run. Vanille shot up at her sister's words and took off into the jungle immediately.

"Leaving! We're leaving! Everyone haul it back to the jet, hurry!"

They slid and leapt over the rubble in the jungle, not breaking pace. The pinkette was only further confused by Fang's sudden turn from laid back and lazy to panicking and retreating. A low rumbling sounded in the distance, and they felt the tremors beneath their feet. Suddenly countless mechanised fiends came pouring from the ground, tiny arachnoid creatures chasing the trio down.

Lightning cursed as they ran, pulling the comms unit out and bringing it to her ear. "Engines on, Sazh," she panted, not dropping her pace as they scrambled to the beach, "get the ship airborne and away from this island now."

" _You wake up something big and ugly?_ "

"You could say that!" the pinkette replied sharply, pocketing the device and hauling it over rotted logs and vines that threatened to trip her up.

After Vanille stumbled for about the fifth time, Fang looked behind her to see the landscape moving and rising behind them, and the sea of spiders rushing towards them. "Screw this," she hissed under her breath and balled her fists, calling on her training and everything they'd spent months working tirelessly on. Her skin rippled as it shifted into a more muscular, bestial form. She felt taller, faster. With a growl she scooped up a startled Vanille and then came for the soldier as well. Lightning gave a yell that was caught somewhere between surprise and annoyance as Ragnarok took off at an incredible pace.

"Um, what are you doing?" Lightning asked, staring at the form of Ragnarok hesitantly. They'd yet to test this in the field under stress. Fang's lop-sided grin still somehow showed through the blue, armoured face.

"Too... Slow..." The beast replied, breaking out from the jungle and high-tailing it across the beach. She practically threw the two women into the jet, and thankfully Lightning wasted no time getting the wheels off the sand. "Senses... Brands... Senses... Me..." Fang said firmly as the jet became airborne, causing the pinkette to cast a nervous glance over her shoulder.

"What are you talking about? What can sense us?"

"Fal'Cie."

Lightning was suddenly forced to take evasive manoeuvres as a massive rock came hurling at them. "Etro, that looks like it threw half the mountainside at us."

"It... Did.." Fang replied with a growl, words coming slower and harder to speak in this form. The others stared in shock as the whole island came alive, shifting and moving to try to capture its prey. The sand bars that they thought were arranged in an odd fashion were in fact the Fal'Cie's enormous legs, sand and nature falling from them as it rose from the earth.

"That's a Fal'Cie that could rival Titan in size..." Lightning breathed, banking hard on the controls to get away from the living island as quickly as possible.

" _Um. Lightning? What the hell is that thing?_ " Sazh asked through the communicator on the jet.

"We... May have accidentally woken an ancient Fal'Cie." She replied, pulling on the controls to get more height and punched the jet through the clouds. The pinkette turned to find Ragnarok standing in the open doorway, brow furrowed and eyes closed.

"Fang? You ok?"

A pained hiss escaped the beast and a hand was held up to stop anyone approaching. "Quiet. Talking."

"Talking? Who are you talking to?" Vanille asked nervously, double checking her seat belt for safety.

"Fal'Cie."

The redhead and soldier stared at each other. The violent hurling of bits of the island had ceased the moment Fang had shut her eyes. "Well that's... Different..." Lightning muttered, bringing the jet in line with the runway on the ship. They landed without further incident, the ground crew shying away in shock when Ragnarok stepped out on the platform and moved to the edge of the deck in silence. Sazh came running out with his guns drawn, slowing up as he saw Fang calmly walking away.

"Gods... I am never going to get used to seeing her like that."

"You'd be surprised," Lightning replied folding her arms while keeping an eye on the Pulsian. Serah appeared on the deck with a change of clothes for Fang and a fierce glare for her sister. The elder Farron rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue at her sibling. "Before you say anything, we weren't exactly planning for that island to be a damned Fal'Cie."

"No, not damned," Fang replied, walking over and taking the clothes from Sarah with a nod of thanks. The younger pinkette blushed and averted her gaze, though Fang cared little for matters of dignity at that point as she tugged the shirt over her head and pulled on the gym shorts. "Just startled him, that's all. It's been... Thousands of years since he'd seen anyone."

Lightning stared incredulously. "Unbelievable. You  _spoke_  to the Fal'Cie." She stated, unsure of her partner's state of mind. Fang nodded and gave a curt smile that showed her exhaustion.

"Yes. We're good for now, he won't cause us any grief. He's content to sleep as long as we don't go back. Oh, and," she called over her shoulder as she moved off to head back to the cabin, "he thanks us for ridding the world of Barthandelus. Apparently thought him to be a bit of a prick."

The pinkette just stared after her retreating form and rubbed her face with her hands. "For Etro's sake... If this is what we're dealing with at this point, I don't want to know what is waiting for us at the other end."


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REJOICE. I have internet again.

The glasses clinked together as laughter filled the rec room on the ship. The sound drew Lightning to the doorway and she peeked in to find a small group of her family and friends playing cards. It was nice to see them relaxing and having a good time. After their impromptu run in with the Fal'Cie, they hadn't had any further issues so people were able to focus back on the excitement of adventure.

"Hey sis, care for a round?" Snow's voice beckoned her inside and she tried to discern whether he meant in cards or alcohol. With a shrug she decided she didn't care either way and entered the room.

"Ah, so this is where you've been hiding out," Lightning chided gently, seeing Fang's face flushed from a few too many drinks. The Pulsian hid behind her cards and giggled, a sound that was foreign coming from the usually cocky hundreds.

"S'alright, Light. Been schooling these chumps in how to play triple triad." Fang responded and took another sip of her beverage. Lightning sat down opposite her and gestured to be dealt in. Snow sat beside her, and Serah next to Fang. "Takes a great deal of... Concentration to win at this game, I'll have you know."

"Mhm," the pinkette hummed in response, nodding in thanks at the drink Lebreau brought over.

The cards were dealt and they sat around the table deciding their various hands. Serah looked over at Fang and frowned. "Hey, has Vanille been alright? She seems really distracted by something the last few days." The Pulsian gave a shrug and drew her finger over the design on one of the cards.

"Dunno, she has spent all her time at the communications array. Makes me wonder if she's even slept, the maniac."

Lightning pursed her lips and stared at her partner. It was unlike Vanille to forgo sleep, no matter how fascinating her research was. "You think she's still spooked from the Fal'Cie run in the other day?"

"Maybe. I'll talk to her later. When the buzz has worn off. Now enough stalling with work talk woman, we're off the clock. Prepare to lose."

A few hours later, Lightning was doing her best not to look smug as she sat in her seat in front of all the chips, Fang's sari draped over her shoulder and Snow's bandana hanging loosely off her head.

" _How._ How is that even remotely possible?" The Pulsian drawled in disbelief, feeling mildly colder in the room missing an important part of her clothing.

"Really, Fang?" Snow complained, his head in his hands and now very aware of his hat hair without his favourite lucky bandana. "You're asking how the queen of poker faces managed to win  _everything_? Are you sure you're sleeping with the same woman?"

"Snow!" Serah chided him with a smack to his shoulder and the blonde realised his words when he saw the dark expression on the soldier's face.

"O-on second thought keep the bandana. It suits you and you were always destined to have it and I'm going to leave now." He stood up so rapidly he didn't have time to orient himself from the sudden movement combined with alcohol intake. Snow managed to trip over his own feet and sent himself crashing to the ground. Serah rolled her eyes and did her best to help him up, largely unsuccessful due to his size.

The two staggered out of the bar and Lightning stood slowly to collect the scattering of glasses. Lebreau gave her a happy thanks and gestured to the counter. "Just leave 'em there darling, I'll sort them out in the morning. Gonna turn in for the night."

Fang waited until the bartender had left and slid her arms around Lightning's waist, pulling the solider into her tightly. "So am I going to have to win my sari back?" she growled low in the pinkette's ear, enjoying the noticeable shiver that ran through her. "Or were you just planning on relieving me of the rest of my clothing?"

Lightning slowly wiggled around until she was able to face the Pulsian. "Oh, I don't know," she purred, tracing a finger across Fang's lips and drawing her hand back quickly when she felt teeth graze against her skin, "It  _was_  fun to see you lose to me. I wonder what else I can make you do by the evening's end?"

A sultry smile cross Fang's face as she licked her lower lip. Scooping the deck up in her hands, the brunette started to shuffle them with a devious wink. She leant in close enough to ghost her lips over the soldier's and smiled. "Play your cards right, and I might just do anything for you." Lightning's eyes darkened, walking Fang backwards until her spine hit the wall and pushed her knee between her legs. The Pulsian gasped at the contact and struggled not to grind her hips involuntarily.

"Anything?" The soldier whispered, her voice breathy and low. Fang caught a whimper in her throat before it had a chance to escape and held her breath with a nod. The pinkette smiled a toothy grin, predatory in nature and it made Fang's core heat to a furnace of need. Lightning pushed in close, running her hands across the Pulsian's breasts and exhaled as she ran her nails down her abdomen.

"Including putting the dirty laundry  _in_  the basket instead of next to it?"

The desperate expression immediately turned to a scowl and Fang gave Lightning a firm slap on the arm. "Why you gotta go kill the mood with housework, Light? That's a low blow." She complained, drawing rich laughter from the pinkette. "You're fucking cruel, you know that? Etro, just my luck I've fallen for a bloody sadist."

Lightning tugged her forwards towards the door, laughing harder as she scanned her hand against the release panel and dragged Fang towards their cabin. "Well aren't I lucky I've fallen for a masochist then?"

Fang bit her lower lip at the sway of the soldier's hips and with a playful growl chased her to the elevator. She caught the pinkette and pressed her teeth against the throat, sucking hard on the skin. The doors closed on them just as Lightning's pleasured gasp rang through the hallway.

* * *

Lightning was sitting at the desk in their quarters, lazily twirling her fingers in the air, dancing electricity from the tips. How strange that once more the magic flowed easily for her as it once had, yet without the ticking time-bomb attached to her sternum. She would be the first to admit that every now and again she'd stand back from the mirror in the bathroom, scouring every surface of her body with her eyes, searching for a brand that wasn't there.

She worried that one day she may spontaneously burn from the inside out from the magic, unchecked by a Fal'Cie focus. Those were private fears she kept to herself, not willing to give Fang any more grief than what she'd already been through. Shaking herself from her thoughts, Lightning glanced up to find Fang in the doorway, watching her with a curious expression. As if scared she had somehow added mind-reading to her list of skills next to turning into a world-ending monster, the pinkette cleared her throat and gave her partner a smile.

Fang, to her credit, wasn't dissuaded. "What's hurtling through that beautiful mind of yours at a million miles an hour, love?"

"Why would you assume anything is?"

"Because it's  _you_?" The Pulsian answered with a sarcastic tone and a roll of her eyes. Fang pushed away from the door and sauntered over to the chair, draping her arms over the pinkette's shoulders. "Come on, Light. You've been taking on my burdens without complaint, don't be afraid to share your load too. I can take it."

Lightning sighed, leaning back into the embrace and sliding her hands across the brunette's arms. She always felt safe like this, though if someone had have told her before the War of Revelations that she would ever feel like this, they would have copped a scoff and a punch to the face. "I'm just worried about the magic. That one day it's going to catch up to me, or that a surprise price is waiting to rear its ugly head and take me from you."

Fang smiled softly and spun the chair around, kneeling down so she could meet her partner's gaze properly. " _Telmari,_  is that what this is about? This sombre mood over the last few days?" Lightning's head tilted at the unfamiliar word, and the Pulsian cupped her face and kissed her gently. "It's a word that means… Hmmmm… How to say… Ah. Soulmate, I suppose would be the closest translation."

The pinkette flushed at the explanation, causing Fang to just simply smile more and brush the pale hair from her eyes. "The word's literal translation is ' _The light of my dark, the sun to my moon, the missing half of my whole_.' All very poetic and romantic, really."

"Wow. You're telling me." Lightning replied, her cheeks feeling more heated by the second.

"Yep. Poetic, romantic, and how I feel about you. So deal with it, sap and all." Fang said with a smile, leaning down to kiss the frown lines away from her face. "Don't fret love. There were instances of those in the priesthood that were imbued with magic from the Fal'Cie without being branded. That way they could still hold the masses in awe of their  _devotion to Anima_  or whatever tripe you wanted to swallow. They all either died of old age or… By my hand in the temple. So, make what you will of it. You won't burst into flames or anything like that."

"Well when you say it like that it sounds silly." Lightning grumbled, though still inwardly smiling at what Fang had called her earlier. Before she could comment further, they both felt the ship lurch to a sudden halt. "What do you suppose that was about?" She asked aloud. Her question would be answered by a crackling of the communicators above them.

" _Uh, sorry about that everyone! Fang, Lightning, mind coming to the bridge? NOW PLEASE."_ Vanille yelled through the speakers, causing the two women to look at each other nervously.

"Guess that's our queue to head off then…" The Pulsian sighed, pulling Lightning up from her seat. They strode briskly onto the bridge where Vanille was pacing back and forth while biting her nails with worry. "Etro, 'Nille you look like you've seen a ghost. What's going on? We hit a sky mountain or something?"

The redhead looked up incredulously at her sister, the exasperation evident on her face. "A  _sky… Mountain_?"

"Yeah. A mountain that floats. With all the weird shit we've seen over the years, why would anything surprise us at this point? Now. Why did we stop?"

"A sky. Mountain. For the love of…" Vanille stared with narrowed eyes, trying to figure out if the altitude had made her sibling lose her mind. "No, we haven't hit anything. We've just had to… Adjust our course. Come to a stop earlier than we had anticipated. A day and a half earlier than anticipated."

Lightning frowned, stepping forward to not put any distance between them. She already didn't like where this was headed, and she suspected that Fang was on the same page with the rigid way she stood, the tension she could see pouring off the Pulsian's shoulders. "Vanille, out with it. What's going on?"

The young Oerban took a breath and held it, before clenching her fists. "Something came up on the sensors about two days ago. It was faint, but enough to warrant attention. As a precaution I've been broadcasting a signal, in Pulsian, that explained in very short words who we were, and that we come in peace, merely seeking exploration and friendship, not war."

"And…?" Fang said, feeling Lightning's hand slip into her own and squeeze it tightly.

"Someone responded."

The silence was intense, and made the bridge feel like they were in a vacuum. Fang dug deep within herself to maintain control and not flip out, but by the gods themselves Vanille was not making it easy. Fortunately, Lightning stepped in with her own anger.

"Why the hell are only hearing about this now?" She snapped, causing the redhead and anyone else on the controls to flinch.

"Because we only got solid confirmation about fifteen minutes ago, Light." Vanille replied firmly, refusing to back down from the angry soldier. "They asked us to identify ourselves or be shot down, and when we told them the name of the ship they asked us to hold our position."

Fang paled at her sister's words. Lightning had to grip onto her to keep her on her feet. The implications were enormous.

"They… They want to talk to the captain of the vessel. Which I guess, is technically you two." The redhead continued.

"So, when do they want to talk?" The pinkette asked, maintaining calm as best she could. She could see the mottling of blue along Fang's arms as she struggled to keep control of her stress levels. Lightning ran a cautious hand along the back of the Pulsian's neck, whispering assurances while Vanille took a couple of steps back to give her space.

"The… Delegate is on the deck. They just landed." One of the technicians nervously interjected.

" _What?_ " Lightning and Fang both snapped in unison, before running for the elevator. Vanille chased after them, leaping into the lift just in time as the doors closed. They rode up to the deck in silence, and all took a moment before they stepped onto the deck. There was a small craft that was quite clearly Pulsian, with a contingent of guards surrounding a few men and women in traditional robes and saris.

"We cleared the deck of personnel before they landed. Other than a few turrets aimed in the direction that are out of their line of sight, it's just us." Vanille whispered.

"We can handle it," Lightning hissed back, straightening her spine as they walked slowly towards the group. Fang was practically shaking as they approached, torn somewhere between fear and relief that someone else survived. The delegates were talking in hushed whispers, but she caught some of the words, primarily  _viper_  and  _lies_ and  _danger._

" _Ba nakta akoni ra lowken,_ " Fang spoke up, finding her voice to the surprise of all around her. A sharp inhale came from the group of Pulsians, eyeing her off with equal parts suspicion and intrigue.

" _Bitzu boyi ja zemmen,_ " one of them muttered quietly, though perceptively eyeing off the confusion on Lightning's face. "But perhaps knowing our tongue is merely a trick of the nest, no?"

The pinkette swallowed hard, feeling a little out of her depth in a tenuous diplomatic situation. She bowed respecfully and kept her expression even. "I will admit my knowledge is rusty of your language in Gran Pulse, but I am studying hard to give it the respect it deserves."

One of the men stepped forward, his face a hideous mass of scarring and age lines that bore deep into his skin. "What does a viper know of respect?" He snarled, causing a similar sound to erupt from Fang's throat as she stepped between him and the pinkette.

"She knows plenty,  _Fagellan Hulla_." The brunette snapped, the tension escalating in the air. All that training to keep her calm going out the window in seconds when the Pulsian delegate became aggressive towards her partner. Vanille tried to hold her sister back, whispering pleas for calm.

"For the love of Etro. These are the first Pulsians we've seen, can you try to not have them declaring war on our first meeting?" She hissed. The brunette shrugged her off with a glare and Lightning held a steady hand on her shoulder in silent agreement with the young Pulsian.

"It's alright, I'm fine. They have a right to their anger, considering what was done at the hands of Cocoons Fal'Cie."

Fang turned back to the man as he spat at the ground and glared at the tattoo on her arm.

"You speak our tongue, wear our markings but show me nothing but viper tricks and mirages from the nest. Trawl through our records to find something that would fit the description of a Pulsian to manipulate us? You desecrate  _her_  name by wearing that on your skin. There's only one who should bear that marking and you, viper, disrespect her with this facade."

Fang grew even angrier. It was one thing to call her a viper, to insult them, but to spurn her own heritage like that? "Fuck you,  _Fallak'nara._  I earned this mark by taking out the bloody Gorgonopsid nest near the village,  _single handed might I add_ , and was the youngest hunter to do it. I earned this mark by completing the rite of passage, just as you would have… With… That image… On your…" She trailed off with a gasp as the man's eyes widened and took her face gently in his calloused hands. Gone in an instant, his anger was replaced with fear and uncertainty.

"It cannot be… The stories said she did not survive?" He asked, far softer than he had earlier spoken. The brunette's eyes searched his features and found something in his eyes. She reached out and touched his face, tracing over a familiar scar along his jaw. She was there the day he got it when he'd been too busy ogling a village girl and caught her lance against his chin.

"Is it really you, Fang?" The man asked, his voice strained.

"Lucyn?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gots two days left before I have to go back to work. BOO. But I am moved in! This is glorious. Everything is unpacked save for the obligatory Last Box of Random Shit That Never Has A Home, the spare room has become the obligatory dumping ground for all miscellaneous crap, and I am ready for an actual holiday now. 

" _Don't let them take your heart, Fang! Don't let them-"_

The sound of rushing water filled Fang's ears as she sat bolt upright, clawing at the air. Fang found herself half in Lightning's lap on the deck, the soldier's arms around her in a protective manner. The scarred man was kneeling before her, looking worried but hesitant.

"Are… Are you alright?" He asked, his hands shaking as the other delegates looked on warily. Fang gave him a once over and squinted.

"Shit, you got old and ugly, Lucyn." She replied groggily, pushing herself up from Lightning's hold. Everyone but the pinkette seemed to relax as Fang leant forward and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. His long, messy black hair was peppered with silver strands and he was certainly built like a hunter, his broad shoulders carrying the weight of the Pulsian armour well. His cloudy grey eyes carried far more than that. "I thought you were dead." Fang whispered, clutching onto him tightly.

"And I you,  _myetta kenno_ ," Lucyn replied, eyeing off the pink-haired woman trying to glare holes into his head. He glanced to the side at the nervous looking redhead and smiled. "Vanille? You survived as well? How is this even…?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Luc." Vanille said, hovering close to Lightning. She'd spent enough time around the soldier to know that she was currently on a hair trigger, and anything involving Fang's well-being set off her temper quicker than anything she'd ever seen. She lightly touched her wrist in a show of support for the lone Cocoonian on the deck, despite the bombshell revelations being uncovered. There was a barely perceptible flinch from the pinkette, but Vanille was surprised that she seemed to relax just slightly under her fingers. Satisfied they weren't about to have a "diplomatic incident", she turned back to the delegates and eyed off his old friend. "We were branded by Anima, to destroy Cocoon. We didn't complete our focus yet turned to crystal all the same."

Lucyn looked pensive, surveying the ship as the young Oerban explained everything that had happened since they had parted ways. Lightning studied his face for any signs of malice and came up empty. Still, she refused to let her guard down, no matter who it was to Fang. The brunette saw the rigid posture and the tension emanating from the soldier and stood, moving back to hold her hand. Lightning immediately noticed the Pulsian delegate's attention zero in on the gesture. There it was. Barely perceptible but the smallest of eye twitches at the motion.

"Problem?" Lightning asked with a defiant arch of her eyebrow. She dared him to comment. Inwardly hoping for it so she could show him just what a viper could do.

"Easy, gorgeous," Fang whispered low in her ear with a reassuring squeeze of her hand. "Lucyn is an old friend. Remember me telling you about the one from the village? The elders saying we were cut of the same cloth?" Lightning relented for her partner's sake with a nod of her head as Vanille finished filling their old friend in on what had been going on with their old home.

"By the gods themselves, so you found a way to defy the focus of the Fal'Cie. I... do not remember my time after we parted at the river that day." Lucyn said with a slump of his shoulders, Lightning picking up on that eye twitch again. It could be that the past was too painful to recall. She struggled with all the instincts screaming at her that this was dangerous, bad news, the works; all to give him the benefit of the doubt because he was –is– Fang's closest childhood friend outside of Vanille.

She swallowed the incessant screaming in her own head and forced an amiable expression on her face. The other delegates that had travelled with Lucyn hung back, their curiousity obvious. They spoke in hushed whispers amongst themselves, and the soldier cleared her throat. "Have you travelled far? I can have a meal prepared for you, if you like." She offered, in the hopes that the hospitality would be received. Fang gave her an appraising smile and tilted her head in thanks. The Pulsian emissaries shifted their weight around on their feet and looked defensive.

"Why are you here? What have you come for?" An older woman asked, Lucyn turning and giving her a chastising look. "I care not for your exasperation, old one. You are from a world long gone, and these people who claim peace have arrived on an ancient Pulsian warship, no doubt pulled from the remains of battle in our ancestral home." Her blonde hair that was slowly silvering couldn't even be a true indicator of her age, perhaps merely the stressors of whatever life she led.

The woman's face showed the barest hints of time, lines appearing in her forehead and around her mouth that showed a life heavy with a constant glare and a perpetual snarl. Her green eyes were absolutely predatory, sizing up her prey on the deck before her and calculating a million different ways to enact the fight or flight response.

Lightning smiled to herself. Now this, this was something she could work with. Centuries apart and cultures so vastly different to her own, the pinkette knew that some things were universal, and soldiers recognised each other in a single breath. She moved her weight onto her back foot as she leant back, folding her arms across her chest. "Simple. We fought hard to bring an end to the reign of the Fal'Cie. We have broken free of the prison that was Cocoon, not a nest of vipers as it was always claimed to be. We merely seek peace to live out our lives, however you wish to involve yourselves in them."

The woman looked at her with a critical gaze. Her blonde hair fell over her eyes as a breeze washed along the deck and she huffed a hollow laugh. "So when you figured out we still existed, you wanted to see whether your hard fought peace would remain, or if you once more must pick up your blade."

"In a sense," Lightning replied with a shrug and a wry smile. "I wouldn't fault you for doing the same if the boot was on the other foot. But it was also about giving our friends closure. It was important to Fang and Vanille that we find answers to what happened after they went into crystal stasis."

The old Pulsian woman stared the soldier down as the deck remained silent. She nodded once, seemingly satisfied with something before turning to head back to the ship. "Fascinating. I like that one. At least this viper is willing to look me in the eyes before she strikes with her venom. Come. Tell them they can bring a  _small_  contingent to the island."

"I'd be more than happy to travel with you, if you permit. I'm sure Lucyn has a lot of catching up to do with his old friends." The pinkette replied with a calm smile. Vanille's eyes narrowed at her words, knowing there was something hidden underneath them. The delegate nodded and chuckled with a knowing smile.

"A smart viper indeed. Very well, tell your ship to go no further, and you will accompany us to  _Cal'Mah_."

Fang's breath caught in her throat at the name, her grip tightening on Lightning's hand. The pinkette gave it a reassuring squeeze and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Let me go advise Sazh and the others of what we're doing, don't get on the ship until I'm back, please?" Lightning said firmly but quietly. The Pulsian nodded and watched her leave, trying not to jitter.

"Light! Wait up for a second," Vanille called out, jogging over. Lightning turned and frowned at the redhead, gesturing for her to stay with Fang. "What's your angle here exactly?"

"Angle?"

"Don't give me that, I'd like to think I've managed to figure out some of how you tick over the time we've spent together. Fang may be too overwhelmed at the moment to notice, but  _I notice._ "

The soldier smiled and gave her a sarcastic salute, though smiled as she did so. "Nothing gets past you, does it? We're travelling with them because we're less likely to be shot out of the sky if we're  _with_  the delegates. I'm willing to play along for now, and… And I know that he's your friend. But my instincts are telling me something's not right and I'm not willing to let my guard down for the sake of the past."

Vanille simply nodded and bit her lip in worry. "I understand. And it's ok. Wait here, I'll go let the others know what we're doing- if you leave Fang and I alone it would be too easy to take us both and vanish." Lighting's eyebrows raised, but she nodded slowly and watched the young Oerban disappear from the deck. Lightning's hackles weren't the only ones up at the sudden return of their friend.

* * *

"So, our destination is our home, the treasure of the western seas,  _Cal'Mah._ It means  _Sanctuary_  in your forked-tongue," the old delegate explained as the ship quietly hummed through the air. Lightning held her breath for a few seconds before letting it out slowly through her mouth.

"Last I checked my tongue was human, just like yours. If the aim and outcome is diplomacy, constantly calling me a viper isn't the best way to go about it. My name is Lightning Farron. Call me Lightning." She ground through her teeth. She employed the techniques she'd been working with Fang over the many months in an attempt to calm her own growing rage, and stop the two Oerbans from looking at her like  _she_  was the one about to turn into Ragnarok.

The Pulsian woman laughed heartily and slapped her compatriot on his back. "I really do like this one. How refined and contained she is, when I can see the hairs on her arms standing on end the angrier she becomes." She joked, before sighing and leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. "I am Cal'Mah Zan Khosrow. You already know of Oerba Tan Lucyn, and the other silent warrior type to the left of me is Cal'Mah Qui Jano."

The other delegate had yet to speak and merely nodded in acknowledgement when he heard his name. He was shorter than the other two, yet held a presence that towered over them somehow. Jano's sharp features gave him a dangerous appearance. His clipped blonde hair was shaved down one side to reveal a tattoo of what looked to be a stylised zirtinya. It only became apparent if he turned his head towards them. It was as if his appearance held as many secrets as his silence did.

The ink would be the second thing noticed when his gaze turned, as his deep purple irises commanded the attention first. Lightning noted that if she were the kind of person to believe in omens, his eyes looked like a darkening storm. She shifted around in her seat uncomfortably, unable to shake the feeling that they were flying into one.

"Did any of the Yun survive?" Fang asked hesitantly from her place by Lightning's side. Khosrow nodded and smiled, the first genuine happy expression since their meeting.

"Aye, the Yun survived, though their numbers are few. Many amalgamated into the newer clans once Cal'Mah was settled. Many decided to cast off the old names when we settled in the west. A means of starting over, I suppose. The other places,  _Riaan... Vonun…_ They did not survive the civil wars that broke out in the wake of what happened back on Gran Pulse. Sadly we are all that remains from the initial migration to the west." She sighed, shaking her head at the reminder. Lucyn remained silent, his gaze shifting between the three women seated across from him, eyes repeatedly returning down to the linked hands between the Cocoonian and his old friend.

"What strange times I find myself in," he muttered to himself, but Fang caught every word and narrowed her eyes. She knew exactly what he was referring to, one of the last conversations they had was over her growing brutality in the war.

"People are allowed to change, Lucyn. To grow, to evolve, to move on and stop letting the past dictate our future. "When Vanille and I received our focus, to destroy Cocoon, I was happy." She paused, feeling Lightning's nails dig into her palm. "But if I had, I never would have met her. They were misled as much as we were. They were never going to attack us, it was all a manufactured effort from the Fal'Cie to provide a sacrifice. In their infinite wisdom, if you can call it that, they believed that if Cocoon was destroyed, enough lives would be taken to call back the Maker."

"So much senseless loss, at the whim of mad gods of old." Jano spoke quietly, though the weight of his few words practically crushed them. Khosrow nodded solemnly and brushed her long hair behind her shoulder as she stood in the small space. She turned with a smile and gestured to the two Pulsians to approach.

"Come, see what your descendants have built." She eyed the soldier sitting between them, looking so tense she was about to snap. "You too, Lightning." She relented, the first of what would hopefully be many offerings of peace and cooperation. The three stood and moved to the window and let out a collective gasp as the Pulsian ship descended through the clouds.

Cal'Mah was truly the jewel in the crown, a metropolis in the centre of a large island. The architecture of the buildings blended a mix of old and new worlds, seemingly more advanced than the ruins on Gran Pulse. As the small craft dipped lower and did a pass of the city, they could truly witness the clash of modernists and traditionalists, where the housing bled out to settlements closer to what they found in Oerba _._

The towers and imposing spires of the central city loomed like great spears in the sky, daring any Fal'Cie to try and take their lands once more. They touched down at the apex of one such tower, on a small landing pad for delegates only. The guards were numerous as they stood with weapons raised at the ready when everyone steppes off the ship. Lightning was already going for her weapon when Khosrow placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "At ease, angry snake. Though I wouldn't mind putting you through your paces later on with reflexes like that." She quipped with a surprisingly playful smirk. It vanished as she turned to the guards, yelling at them to stand down. They moved through the small crowd of armed forces and other council staff, Lightning feeling the firm hand of the old Pulsian woman on her back at all times.

"Why the sudden change in approach to me?" She asked the warrior woman, looking for any thing out of the ordinary as they walked towards the entrance to the halls. Khosrow nodded towards Lucyn and Fang as they walked just ahead, Vanille staying just behind them.

"They may be tainted by the memories of the past, but I have no intention of repeating their mistakes. I am not stupid, child. I saw the many guns that airship had trained on us the minute we were within visual range. If you truly didn't want peace we would have been shot out of the sky before we even landed."

Lightning conceded the point with a genuine smile. Perhaps she could at least reason with this warrior woman. A strong arm was slung around her shoulder and she found herself being led away from the other two. "But there is another way to test your truth, your resolve. To see if you really believe in the words that leave your venomous mouth. Come," Khosrow said with a hearty smile, "we will settle matters the only way the likes of us know how." Lightning glared and began to panic as the others didn't notice the detour, too enraptured with the architecture to see them depart down another hallway.

With the contingent of guards flanking them, there was nowhere to escape. Lightning swallowed hard steeled herself for whatever ambush she was about to get dragged into. Great, ornate doors lay before them in the corridor they headed down, every step feeling like lead filling Lightning's boots. She kept looking behind her, hoping that Fang had gotten some sort of sixth sense and noticed she was missing. The doors swung open to reveal a wide, expansive room that only served to make her feel smaller than she already felt.

They descended the stairs to the main floor, and that's when it hit her. "This is an arena." She observed, still uncertain as to whether she should be relieved, or even more nervous. Lightning stared out into the empty hallway beyond the floor, her vision narrowing as the doors closed and locked her out of sight. The scraping sound of metal ground along the stone floor as Khosrow dragged her unsheathed greatsword lightly around her in an exaggerated fashion. She pointed the blade straight out, one-handed in an impressive show of strength and sneered at Lightning.

"Come, viper. Show me what you Cocoon dwellers are made of. I know you've been dying to unleash hell the moment we stepped foot on your ship."

* * *

"The architecture here is inspired, they really meant to rebuild the Pulsian empire all over again?" Vanille asked as she marvelled at the ornate steel moulded into statues of old warriors. They melded into the walls to make them look like they were bursting forth from history and she loved it.

"Indeed. I was found by the original pilgrims encased in crystal and brought here to be a relic, amongst the others in another hall. I woke about twenty years ago and it has been relieving to see our people strong and thriving away from Cocoon's meddling influence. But I understand there is a new… Chain of command in the nest these days, from what I can see."

Fang was silently taking it all in, positively overwhelmed with it all. Lucyn gave her a short smile and bumped her with his hip. "You think that's impressive? Wait until you see the main event." He whispered, taking Fang by the hand and dragging her ahead. They turned a corner and she nearly tripped over her own feet at the sight before them.

"Wow." Was all Vanille could manage, Fang could only gape. They stared up at the two larger-than-life statues of themselves that demanded all the attention in the hall. Strong, heroic poses, gold and stone decorating and highlighting the effigies.

"We'll need to update the plaque of course, seeing as you're both not dead but… It's impressive how well they got the likeness."

Fang whistled low, appreciative of the battle armour they'd sculpted her in. Dragoon armour was hard to come by during the war. She wondered if they'd gift her a set seeing as they saw fit to immortalise her and Vanille in such a way. She tilted her head to the side and smiled. "What do you think, Light? They get my likeness?" When there was no response she frowned, turning to find an empty hallway behind her. "Light? Where'd she go? Where's Khosrow and the other guards?"

"Oh, she was taken down another hall earlier on, I thought you noticed her departure." Lucyn replied, his disdain barely masked. Fang paled and smacked him on the shoulder.

"You damn well  _know_ I didn't! Where was she taken?" Fang demanded, her heart rate increasing with every second he didn't answer. When he'd gestured to the right, further down the hall she took off at a sprint, ignoring his calls to stop. Fang practically barrelled into a guard at an intersection, gripping him tightly by the armour. "Where is the other woman we arrived with?" She snarled, her aggression increasing by the breath.

"T-The General took her down to the arena, Yun Fang." He stammered, gesturing behind him. Fang took off again, Vanille and Lucyn chasing close behind. She ignored the guards at the entrance and shoulder charged it, almost flying the massive doors from their hinges from the sheer force.

Khosrow and the Lightning were squaring off in the middle of the open floor, breathing heavily and both sporting their fair share of injuries. Blood dripped from Lightning's face and arm, while Khosrow's injuries looked just as brutal.

"Light!" Fang yelled out, coming to a stop beside the soldier. Lightning looked startled before settling back into a lazy grin.

"About time… You figured out… I was gone… Asshole…" She panted, Khosrow barking out laughter and striding over to the two women. Fang stood in front of her partner with a warning growl which was dutifully unheeded by the General. The slide of metal meeting leather hissed in their ears as Khosrow sheathed her blade and nudged Fang out of the way.

"Now this, this is a viper I  _like_. Such fire! Such spirit. If Cocoon had fought like her in the war there wouldn't have been any of us left!" The old Pulsian cheered, pulling on Lightning's shoulders and dragging her into a hug. "You chose well, Yun. This one could have well been in your clan with the way she fights. It's beautiful. Like her entire being is a blade. I would very much like to see her on a hunt in the wilds, to see what happens when she is unleashed. I know she was holding back, I pity the enemies that cross her true strength."

Fang looked dumbfounded, like she'd missed every crucial detail since they left the airship because she was too busy staring at the decor. She stared incredulously at her partner, who looked like she'd just been caught robbing a bank. "Would someone  _please_  care to explain what the fuck is going on?" Fang snapped, suddenly weary of whatever she'd unwittingly walked in on.

Khosrow sighed and patted her cheek with no small amount of humour, all of which was utterly lost on the raging brunette at this point. "Calm yourself, child of Yun. I merely wanted to see how this one ticked. You learn more about an opponent on the battle field rather than around a negotiation table and I got to see her true heart while we sparred."

"Do those wounds  _look_  like sparring to you?" Fang seethed. Lightning stepped out from under the General's arm and moved over to her quickly before her partner's anger could further escalate. She cupped Fang's face and gave her cheek a gentle, reassuring kiss, gaining an appreciative smile from the warrior woman behind them.

"When did  _we_  ever go easy in our sparring matches, hm?" She asked, leaning back to start working on healing the wounds on her aching body. Khosrow's eyebrows raised at the sight of the magic, and she baulked when that same cure was directed at her. "Thank you, honoured Cal'Mah Zan Khosrow. It's been a while since I got to work like that. You are an admirable opponent."

Khosrow beamed at the appraisal. "And thank you for your viper magic. I was going to be recovering from some of those wounds for weeks," She paused, shaking her finger at the scowling faces of Fang and Lucyn. "See? Now  _that's_  how you do it, Gran Pulse style. Look at how much more relaxed the little angry snake is now? Now come, we shall partake in the other tradition to get our tongues wagging at the incessant diplomatic discussions."

Without knowing the intricacies of Pulsian customs, Lightning could already tell that whatever this "tradition" was would likely end with her having a raucous hangover by morning. She watched the General leave with a smile, before her expression fell at the glare she was receiving from Fang. She returned it with one of her own and folded her arms defensively. "Took you long enough." She clipped, her tone short and in no mood for any attitude from the brunette. "I'm sorry if my sudden departure took away from your day of discovery, Fang. But it's not like I was left with any choice when I was flanked by guards and led off before I could get your attention."

Fang simply pulled at Lightning's wrist and embraced her, pushing forward to kiss her. She could still taste the blood on Lightning's lips and it made her rage. "If she hurts you again, diplomacy be damned." She growled against the pinkette's lips, sliding her hands around Lightning's neck.

"It's alright, really. I'm ok, it seemed to break the tension, and I've somehow managed to earn a bit of respect from the others so it's not all bad."

"It is bad. You were taken and I didn't even… I didn't…" Fang let the sentence linger in the air, the burden of her ignorance heavy on her shoulders. No matter how much Lightning tried to brush it off, it still hurt that she was so blind to her partner's absence. Fang felt her face cupped and her lips kissed, more gently this time.

"Fang, don't beat yourself up about it. I think it needed to happen to… Open the lines of communication, as it were. At least we know I'm in Khosrow's good books now, right?"

The resigned sigh that escaped from Fang echoed around the room as she pressed her forehead against Lightning's. "All right, all right. Now let's go see about this other  _tradition_  that I assume involves us all getting shit-face drunk."

They exited the hall, neither aware of Lucyn's glare on them the entire time.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM ON A GODDAMN ROLL. Zooooooooooom!

 

"The finest  _medhi_  in all of Gol'use, my new snake friend!" Khosrow said, refilling Lightning's glass before she could protest. The alcohol was sweet and potent, which meant it was too easy to enjoy and too late to stop the inebriation from settling over her state of mind. "Some traditions never die out, little snake. I respect the battle field, the strength that comes from the courage of your convictions. Not just the steel of your blade but your resolve as well. That isn't what won me over about you, little snake."

The hall was a wide expanse, richly decorated with many traditional fabrics, motifs and statues. Long tables raced each other to each end that were filled with food, wine, mead and far too many Pulsian officials. The light came from a fire pit in the centre of the room, reminding Fang of her many nights in the village square growing up in Oerba. The room swayed a little and Lightning felt Fang's steady hands on her back, bringing a warm and loving smile to her face. She turned to kiss Fang on the cheek, amusing herself with the blush that appeared across the tanned skin.

"Aye, that is why I know you aren't like your viper-toothed ancestors, Lightning Farron. You love one of us like they were your own, you care not for their origins, their past, only with building a future together." Khosrow's voice tightened and she stared off at the others in the hall enjoying the feast. "I may be a little biased. Your fire, it reminds me of my daughter. She was a fine warrior, her skill and temper quite like your own."

"May I ask, Khosrow, if there is no war with Cocoon here, what do you fight?" Lightning queried, immediately noticing the room falling silent. She winced, thinking she had severely overstepped, especially given the past tense the General was speaking of her own daughter.

With a heavy sigh and a long drink, Khosrow placed the glass back down on the table and gestured grandly around the room. "We have a long, proud history of keeping this place safe and sacred from any outside influences. Yours, is the first we have allowed in the city for centuries. We may have escaped the warfare with Cocoon, but the beasts of the west are unlike anything our ancestors anticipated, not to mention the Fal'Cie that followed us out here, looking for more souls to brand."

Fang nodded and took a sip of her drink. "Like Arachna, right? We had a run in with it a few days back east. He was alright, for a big fella." She said with a slight slur in her speech. The collective gasp from the others in the hall could have made a vacuum in the space. One of the Pulsian officials leapt from their seat and pointed at Fang accusingly.

"You invite the wrath of the Fal'Cie upon us by stirring its interest!" He bellowed, the murmurings of the others around him growing in volume. Fang stood slowly, gripping the back of her chair as she swayed to her feet.

"Now come on, we had a chat and he's fine to sleep. Arachna holds no interest in Orphan's old plans to destroy everything. Reminds me of Titan, back home. He helped us get strong enough to defeat Orphan, as he had no intention of following through with any of the bullshit the other Fal'Cie had planned."

Khosrow's eyes narrowed and she regarded Lightning with a curious gaze. "You… You've actually  _Spoken_  with the Fal'Cie? How is that even possible?" Before Lightning could answer, Lucyn leant back in his chair with a growl.

"More viper tricks, I'm certain." He snapped, smiling at a few cheers in the room that appeared to agree with his assessment. "If you were all pets of the Fal'Cie, surely you still heed your master's beck and call?"

The outrage was obvious, not only in Lightning's fiery glare but Fang's as well. "Come on Lucyn, that's a bit below the belt. Besides,  _I_ was the one speaking with Arachna. So what exactly does that make me?" Fang argued back, a warning tone evident in her voice.

Khosrow held her hands up and slammed them on the table, drawing everyone's attention back to her. "Closed minds such as the old one here do little to improve on the present and won't take us towards the future. Closed minds will only drag us kicking, screaming and  _bleeding_  back to the past. I trust this one, this Lightning Farron. Furthermore, as she is leader of her people, the others will follow  _her_ beck and call."

"Why? Because you sparred with her once? Is that all it takes to slake your thirst?" Lucyn bit back, getting in the General's face. Khosrow's spine straightened, refusing to give any ground and put a forceful hand on his shoulder, forcing him to sit back down. She glowered at his bitter words and shook her head, pointing at the two women at the centre of their argument.

"Because I see the love in her eyes every single time she looks at the Yun, you idiot. Even when she looks at the Dia. She considers them family, something no viper of the past could ever had done. If you are blind to that, then no wonder our ancestors lost the war."

Another Pulsian stood and drew his blade, pointing it straight at Lightning in a threatening manner. "Your bias towards the viper is making  _you_  blind Khosrow! Just because she reminds you of Kajav-"

"Don't you  _dare_  disrespect the spirit of my daughter by using her as a weapon, Yoram!" Khosrow snapped, whirling on the Pulsian so quickly the table lurched forward from her movement. He merely snarled and rushed the table, blade raised towards Lightning to strike her. He would not even get close, when a massive clawed hand gripped him by the wrist and lifted him clear off the ground. Ragnarok stood in the centre of the hall, growling aggressively at the man who hung limply from her hand. The room fell silent, save for the few gasps and screams that erupted from the tables.

Even Khosrow was taken aback, immediately sitting down. "I knew the stories but never believed… By the gods, she really is Ragnarok." She whispered. Lightning stood calmly and walked over to the beast, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Ragnarok's head snapped around with a snarl, though the expression softened as soon as she laid eyes on the pinkette.

Khosrow motioned to the guards to start clearing everyone out of the hall, the evening thoroughly finished after the altercation. Vanille rushed over to her two friends and stayed close to them, eyeing off any of the other retreating Pulsians in case someone else wanted to start something. With the great beast of their legends acting as a centrepiece to the hall, she doubted anyone would try anything.

When Lucyn tried to stay, he was shoved forward from Khosrow with an angry glare. "You can retire for the evening as well, Lucyn. You've done enough for one evening, inciting such bitter hatred in the stubborn minded fools in the council." She clipped, practically daring him to argue when she placed an obvious hand on the hilt of her sword. He narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue in frustration before leaving the hall, his eyes on Fang and Lightning the whole time.

The guards came over and bowed in reverence of Ragnarok, humbly and timidly requesting that the Pulsian be released to be taken into custody. Lightning smiled at the purring sound as the beast released the man and crouched down to be closer to her partner. "It's ok Fang, you did well. Impressive as always," she whispered, reaching up and running her hand through Ragnarok's mane. Khosrow approached and stared in awe at Fang's newfound appearance while Lightning stood and whispered something to Vanille. The young Oerban blushed and nodded, running off to the hallways beyond and returning minutes later with a fresh sari for her adopted sibling.

"Sorry," Fang grunted, her tone and clear words catching Khosrow by surprise. "Didn't mean… To spoil… Dinner…" She said slowly, her skin shifting slowly to a tanned colour. Realising with her shrinking form that Fang had shredded her clothing upon her transformation, Khosrow yelped and turned around. The fresh sari suddenly made a lot more sense.

"No apologies necessary, friend." The general threw over her shoulder, waiting patiently for Fang to return to human form and preserve her dignity. "It was the most entertainment some of these stuffed cloths have seen for some time."

Fang laughed and stood with the help of Lightning, the alcohol long since burned from her system, though the exhaustion of turning into Ragnarok on instinct left her ready to hit the floor regardless. "Khosrow, I have to ask… The warship we arrived on was salvaged from a scrap yard on Cocoon. There was some rather… Interesting graffiti scratched and painted over a mural of Ragnarok. Will it cause problems, my being here?"

A defined eyebrow arched high on Khosrow's face at the question. "Why would you think that?"

"The graffiti was… Not painting a flattering picture of my failure to destroy Cocoon."

Khosrow scoffed and clapped her on the back, helping her alongside Lightning to stagger out of the hall and to the arranged room for the trio. "Worry not, child of Yun. From what I had read many people blamed many things for the downfall of our empire. There are those like that idiot tonight that hold onto that rage despite never living in the time of war. Thankfully, there are many more who have far more level heads to shoulder the entire burden of victory on the shoulders of one person… Even if their shoulders were big enough to pluck the nest out of the sky with their hands."

They stopped at a door in the western wing of the building, and Khosrow opened the door for them. There were two beds, modest furnishings and Pulsian carvings adorning the walls. A dim light gave the room a warm, cosy glow. "You're in the soldier's barracks, I have sent for trustworthy guards to mind your presence this evening. They will remain outside the doors so as not to disturb you. Rest, friends. Tomorrow we will address the council properly to discuss treaties to ensure the world doesn't fall apart all over again."

With a bow she took her leave, and Vanille leapt for the nearest bed. "Dibs!" She yelled as she flopped down on the mattress, removing her shoes and scurrying under the covers. "Well that went well, don't you think?" Vanille said aloud while dialling in the communicator to touch base with the ship. Lightning shook her head with mild amusement and walked out to the balcony.

Strong arms wrapped around her and she found herself leaning into the familiar embrace. "Etro, what a day." Lightning exhaled, smiling when Fang's lips pressed against her neck with a hum of agreement.

"You're telling me. Think I probably scared half the delegates to death this evening."

"Good, it'll make the talks tomorrow quicker if there's less of them."

Fang chuckled at Lightning's grumpy response and continued kissing at her skin. "Come on. Let's go get some sleep. Won't be able to get up to mischief while Vanille's here."

"I heard that!" Came the younger Oerban's angry reply from inside. Fang grinned and coaxed the soldier inside, leaving the doors open to let the night air in. She fell asleep snuggled in close with Lightning, unaware that the pinkette was still wide awake and staring at the ceiling with a terse expression on her face.

The moon drifted into view from the balcony door, bathing the room in an ethereal dull radiance. The city beyond was mostly silent, and the only things that could be heard was Vanille's light snoring and the occasional night atmosphere of wildlife and distant vehicles.

Lightning's ears twitched at the most subtle of sounds, a soft sliding noise coming from beyond the balcony. Her eyes remained closed, the other two Pulsians out to the world as well. She feigned a stretch and rolled over slowly, extending her senses as far as they could go. Sliding her hands underneath her pillow with a soft sigh, Lightning held her breath and waited. There it was again, closer this time. Inside the room. The tang of metal on the air, slithering slowly out of a leather sheath.

Sending a silent thanks to Fang for those months on the steppe where the brunette taught her about how to narrow the focus of her senses, Lightning shot up in one fluid motion towards the intruder in the room. She extended her hand and let a small dagger fly, striking the man in the chest and sending him careening into the wall. Fang and Vanille sat upright with a start, just in time to see Lightning leap off the bed and tackle the trespasser to the ground.

Guards burst into the room, armed and at the ready to find the Pulsian man bleeding out on the ground. "Gods, we should have had someone posted on the balcony or had it sealed! Are you alright?" One of them asked, racing over and kneeling down to inspect the now dead man on the floor. Shouts rang out across the compound outside and down the hallway. Before too long, Khosrow was in the doorway in her nightwear, not caring if she had to face down an army barefoot and in an oversized cloth shirt that ended at her thighs.

"What is the meaning of this? You were meant to be guarding the door!" She snapped at the guards, angry at the close call. Lightning stood and brushed herself off, sighing at the situation they found themselves in.

"It's not their fault, Khosrow. The assassin came in from the balcony." She explained. Fang's lance suddenly skewered the floor behind her and she jumped forward, startled. Khosrow caught her before she fell and Lightning turned back with a glare. "The hell was that… For… Oh." She trailed off when she saw the snake speared at the neck, lying dead on the ground.

"Gods, that's a Balnozan. Highly venomous snake… They're not subtle about their distaste in you lot are they?" Khosrow queried, poking at the snake's head with her sword. Her expression darkened when a guard handed her a note that was hidden in the assassin's jacket. "I'm going to find out who was responsible for ordering this, and then I'm going to slit their throat." She growled, throwing the note on the bed as she stood and straightened the shirt that fell from her shoulder.

Vanille picked up the paper and glanced over the words and winced. Fang plucked it out of her hand and gave a similar twist of her lips. "Ouch. Low blow for everyone." Lightning's head tilted in query, Fang knowing full well she wasn't going to be able to read the note. "It says that  _the people will have freedom from treacherous vipers, traitorous heroes and false leaders. The mother of Kajaveh is blind to the truth and unfit to lead. We will have justice. We will have vengeance._ "

Khosrow snarled and gripped the hilt of her blade tighter. "Bastards." She spat, kicking the corpse in the face for good measure before turning to the guards. "Have the attendants make up the room in the east wing next to mine, and have the balcony doors sealed. I won't have any further interruptions to our sleep."

"That's if we can even get back to sleep after that wakeup call…" Vanille muttered, following the guards out of the room and down the hall to their new sleeping quarters. Khosrow watched her leave before turning back to the other two women eyeing her warily. She sighed and sheathed her sword, running her hands through her hair, tussled about from sleep.

"That my departed daughter is used as a tool of malice… She would not welcome her memory to be assaulted thusly." She growled, balling her fists in anger. Taking a breath and remembering herself, she exhaled and smiled at Lightning. "They're not wrong though. I see a lot of her in you. Perhaps I am a little biased." Khosrow mused, staring down at the body on the ground.

The door swung open again and everyone reached for their weapons instinctively. Lucyn stood in the entrance, breathing heavily and staring wildly about the room. He walked briskly over to Fang and hugged her tightly. "Thank the gods you're alright, I just heard what had happened. Where is Vanille? Is she…"

"She's fine," Lightning said from her place by Fang's side, "I neutralised the problem before it really became one."

"I… See. Your reflexes may well have saved my friends' lives this evening, Lightning Farron. Thanks are in order." He said, taking her by the hand and squeezing it gently. The action surprised Lightning, already used to the cold shoulder he had been giving her since the moment they laid eyes on each other.

"It… It was nothing. I always have the backs of my family, after all."

Khosrow clapped to get everyone's attention and yawned. "Alright, enough of this soft-hearted bullshit. Assassin's dead, snake's dead, I want sleep. Lucyn, go to bed. Fang, Lightning, with me." He bowed in acknowledgement and retreated from the room, sparing one last glance over his shoulder at his friend before he left. "Come on you two, get some rest. We all have a long day ahead of us of proving to the masses you're not out to start a war again, and making sure the council doesn't either."

The morning brought even more tiring problems than the night that preceded it. Lightning had to keep her wits and her sanity about her when the council devolved into an argument for the umpteenth time since the sun rose. She buried her head in her hands and stifled a groan. "Etro, this is why I'm a soldier and not a politician. I've had enough of this shit."

"You're telling me, sweetheart," Fang complained and nodded towards her sibling. "Vanille, why the hell did Hope stay behind in Academia? This is more his forte and you know it."

"Oh! That's a good point! Hang on." Vanille disappeared from the room, only returning when she brought her bag with her. She held her communications device up to her ear and was nodding away, talking to someone on the other line. She cleared her throat and stepped into the centre of the room. "Council, if I may, I would like to show you something."

Khosrow nodded in acknowledgement and silenced any dissenting voices in the room. "You wanted to call this farce of a meeting, give them the damn chance to speak!" She snapped, forcing the other council members into stillness. "Go on, Oerba Dia Vanille. You have the floor."

"Actually, I don't. He does." Vanille replied, flicking a switch on a small device she'd placed on the floor. Hope's face appeared on a hologram that grew in size to accommodate everyone being able to see. A few gasps and yells of outrage filled the room, and Khosrow slammed her ceremonial staff into the ground, the crash of steel hitting stone ringing in everyone's ears.

"Silence!" She roared, before looking back towards the projection and tilting her head curiously. "You are another viper I see, not unlike the angry snake here. I am Cal'Mah Zan Khosrow. Who might you be?"

Hope bowed his head in respect and put his pinky and index fingers together as Vanille had shown him. "Honoured General, my name is Hope Estheim and I am one of the descendants of Cocoon from the War of Transgressions. With your permission, I seek to show you the War of Revelations that occurred almost four years ago that freed us from the shackles of the Fal'Cie and their mad plans to destroy everything."

His face disappeared and was replaced by news footage of Sanctum, cameras surrounding Lightning and Hope in Palumpolum all those years ago. Fang felt Lightning's hand tense in her own, the grip as solid as iron.

" _Start running. I'll keep 'em busy." Lightning said quietly, still seething at Rosch's cruel words. They aren't people. They're just targets. Though a bitter part of herself had been resigned to her fate, after all, a target was a target. She had made so many mistakes in pushing people away, for once she was going to stand her ground and stand up for someone that needed her help. She couldn't save Serah, but she could at least save Hope._

" _But-"_

_Any protest wouldn't deter her. Lightning barely turned to regard him, wary of giving up any line of sight for the guards surrounding her. "You survive." She snapped, gripping the hilt of her blade tighter and preparing to take as many Psicom soldiers out as she could before she went down. Lightning spared a last thought to Serah, and sent out a silent apology to the crystal statue that had now become her sister and tensed her leg muscles, ready to fire. An explosion tore through the courtyard and-_

A few hollers came from the chambers as Fang appeared on the hologram, putting bullets into a Cocoonian soldier. The sound ripped Lightning from her memories and she wiped the dampness from her brow. Fang gave her a knowing glance and moved closer so that their arms were touching along with their linked hands. "It's alright, sweetheart. Just focus on your breathing. I'm right here, we're going to ride this shit show out together, you hear me?"

They watched their history play out on the hologram, the stories told in the wake of Orphan's death and Cocoon's near collapse. The death grip they had on each other's hands when the hologram showed the crystal tower in the immediate wake of the fall of Orphan practically had their bones creaking. Fang's heart ached at the footage in the early days, seeing flashes of Lightning working or dolling out orders on the screen. How tired she looked, how exhausted. Fang knew now that it was because of her, that her absence had impacted on the pinkette so significantly.

Khosrow's gaze was torn between the hologram and the reaction of the trio that sat near her. She knew the battle sickness when she saw it, and she could see clearly that Fang and Lightning both suffered from it, more so than Vanille. "Enough," She said firmly, the hologram flickering back to Hope's face. "I have seen enough of the events that brought you to our shores, there is no need to have your friends re-live the trauma of war before our eyes as well."

While she understood the relieved glances that were sent her way from the two women, Khosrow refused to draw attention to it, to allow them to appear weak in front of the council. "What do you seek, Hope Estheim? What do you want of us?"

"That depends on you," he replied, with another bow of his head. "Whatever level of involvement we have with each other is on your terms. We seek nothing but friendship, if you wish it. We seek cooperation, if you wish it. The foundations of communication, opportunity for cultural exchange, trade… Or, if you wish for us to leave you be, we will heed your request and comply. We are new to Gran Pulse and are learning quickly of the laws of the land, and are respecting the ancient culture of the people who came before. If you wish for your land back, we will heed that as well and find new places to settle."

The murmurings of the crowd grew once more, but gone was much of the hostility, save for a few outliers. Hope glanced around this room and his eyes settled on his friends. He gave them a small smile and a nod before continuing. "The people of Cocoon have been caged and kept as sacrifices in waiting for centuries. Now we are free, we only want peace and to live our lives out of the influence of the Fal'Cie."

The hologram flickered again, showing footage of children playing along the beach, the fireworks festival in Bodhum, families toiling in the fields from the farming communities. Images designed to show friendship, peace, and cooperation. Lightning was suitably impressed, this was obviously something Vanille and Hope had been working on for some time.

Jano stood, giving a bow to Khosrow and the room fell silent. "If the descendants of the vipers truly want peace, then the people of Cal'Mah will work towards this end. Centuries later, the people of Gran Pulse will finally know closure." Nobody in the room dared object or protest his words. When the Qui warrior spoke, all listened. Khosrow nodded and bowed to the hologram.

"We will discuss what you have advised, and send our response back with your delegates when we are done."

Hope smiled and nodded, looking back at his friends once more. "We will await your answer, and the safe return of our friends." He replied, and the hologram flickered off. The room erupted into a cacophony of noise, the delegates equal parts arguing with resentment and gushing with excitement depending on the individual.

Lucyn had sat behind the trio throughout the proceedings, leaning forward to regard the women. He tapped Lightning on the shoulder and she turned, eyeing him warily. "Your friend certainly has a well-mannered way with words, Lighting. I hope he is honest in what he says."

"Hope? The kid couldn't tell a lie if his life depended on it, Lucyn. You bet your arse he's telling the truth." Fang replied with a roll of her eyes. The crowd dispersed and Khosrow came over with a broad smile. She clapped Lightning firmly on the back, sending her lurching forward with a cough.

"The council will be behind closed doors whinging and moaning for hours, and Jano has gracefully volunteered to keep them in line."

"So what do we do in the interim?" Fang asked, pulling Lightning into her with a lazy arm around her shoulder. The General merely smiled, pointing to the window in the chambers.

"Now, we hunt."


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWO IN A DAY WOAHHHHHH. Now you're going to have to wait because I'm back at bloody work as of tomorrow.

Lightning heaved a sigh of relief when they were taken to the stables and she found rows of chocobos lined in the stalls. Once the birds had been organised, Khosrow set about showing them how to mount them. Her explanations died in her throat when Lightning smiled and deftly leapt onto the back of the white one she was given.

"Well, I see you're an old hand at this then, Lightning… Out to make me look like a giant fool?"

"Never mind Light, why did I end up with the angry one?" Fang complained as she side-saddled a big red chocobo with a blue tail. It squawked and jumped around, annoyed with the human cargo on its back. Khosrow laughed and gestured towards her with her hand.

"It looks like you,  _Ragnarok_. So I thought it would be fitting."

A deep scowl was given in return from Fang, and she hissed at the bird in frustration. She managed to get it under control long enough to sidle up to Lightning, who was patiently waiting by the entrance to the stabled on her proud-looking chocobo. "Leave it to you to make it look effortless," Fang grumbled, and Lightning laughed as the patted the bird along the neck.

"It wouldn't be me otherwise, would it?" The soldier replied before pressing her heels into the mount's side and taking off at a leisurely pace. Lucyn rode into the group, bringing his bird up alongside Khosrow. The General regarded him amiably, though she still bristled from his outburst the other night. He nodded in the direction of the city and cleared his throat.

"The council talks appear to be going… Surprisingly positive, given the initial resistance." He informed them, rolling his eyes in disdain for the diplomatic practices. "I grew tired of the endless back and forth, and thought spending the day with my friends would be a better way to spend the time."

"Indeed." Khosrow replied, her eyes falling back on the two women in front of them, jostling and pushing each other as they rode. She shook her head at their banter and eyed off Vanille who was riding beside her.

"Are they always like that?" She queried, Vanille laughing and nodding as they rode to the outskirts of the city.

"The  _entire_ time. You wouldn't be the first to ask that either."

"And I am certain I will be far from the last."

When the sun was high they reached their destination, a lush sprawling field high above and beyond the city. Lightning marvelled at the expanse, the clearing lined with dense forest every which way ahead. It must have been a great relief for the first Pulsians to settle here that they found a land so abundant with life and wonder.

They left the chocobos in the shade and continued on through the fields on foot. Lucyn eyed the two women holding hands with a curious tilt of his head. "Fang," he called out, getting her attention away from the pinkette for a moment. "Tell me, how long have you two been together?"

Fang didn't seem fazed by it, and scratched the back of her neck. "Um, what would it be, close to a year now?" She asked the pinkette, not realising she was meant to be keeping track. Lightning simply nodded, figuring about the same length of time. The pinkette's eyes narrowed at his words, expecting some sort of malicious intent given his history.

"And how long have you… felt for her?"

Fang gulped, starting to feel a little out of her depth for this line of questioning. She wondered if this is what her parents would be doing if they were still alive. A gentle squeeze of her hand brought a warm smile to her face, and she looked at Lightning with a loving gaze.

"Far longer, Lucyn. Far, far longer."

Her friend hummed, placing his hands behind his back as he walked with them. He glanced over at the bands on their arms and pondered the similarities between the designs. Lucyn smiled, and crinkled his eyes in a playful manner. "So have you partaken in the rite of joining then?"

Lightning watched as Fang went bright red at the question, stammering and spluttering to try to come up with a response. "I.. I uh… I haven't… We haven't s-spoken about that!"

"Yet?" Lucyn teased, enjoying his old friend being off kilter. "Come on now Fang, the seasons are shifting, you have quite obviously a deep love for the woman, why not go through the rite?"

"Lucyn!" Fang shouted, her anxiety climbing higher the more he probed. Lightning looked back at him and pursed her lips.

"What's the rite of joining?" She asked, Fang's horror growing at the question. Lucyn put on a mocked expression of shock and held his hand to his head.

"Oerba Yun Fang, you mean to tell me you scorn your heritage by not even  _telling_  the woman about the rite of  _joining_? My dear, sweet village girl. How you have fallen to pieces without me around. Lightning, the rite of joining is-Ooph!" His words were cut off by Fang tackling him to the ground, wrestling to clamp her hand over his mouth.

Vanille shook her head at the scene and nudged Lightning with her hip. "He's talking about a Pulsian tradition that's akin to your marriage ceremonies in Cocoon." She finished for him, Fang glaring at her like she had just spilled the worst secrets imaginable.

"Traitor!" Fang yelled, standing and coming for her sister. This time it was Lightning's turn to blush to her roots as the meaning sunk in. She hadn't really thought about it. But now that the idea was out there, it wouldn't leave her head. Khosrow whistled and brought their attention back to the present before Fang could get her hands on Vanille.

"If you're all done scaring away the wildlife in a fifty mile radius, we have company!" The General yelled, pointing at a large beast that came stampeding from the forest. It charged towards them with a bellowing roar and everyone reached for their weapons. The scaly black hide shimmered in the light, and it was draconic in appearance with claws, sharp teeth and all menace. Fang, Lightning and Vanille immediately got into formation instinctively and without words. Lucyn went to follow but Khosrow held onto him, keeping him in place.

"Hold, old one. I want to see them at work."

Lightning heard the words and smiled, adrenaline already flooding through her system. "Vanille, find out what makes it tick. Fang, I'm going to bring it around so you will have a chance to strike at its neck."

"Got it!" Fang replied, gripping her lance with a savage grin. She whooped and leapt into the fray, ducking from the sharp claws that slashed at her as she got close. Vanille held back and scanned the monster, as she was without any L'Cie powers or able to turn into a world ending beast. She provided tactical support where she could, and whipped the animal with her weapon if it got too close to the others.

The beast roared in fury, unable to figure out which one to attack first. Lightning dashed in and ran her blade along its flank, growling as it only seemed to create sparks. "Tough hide. Fang! We need to break through!" She called out, signalling for the brunette to come close.

Lucyn watched the scene unfold with a critical eye. "I don't understand, why is Fang taking orders from the Cocoonian? She is the huntress, she should be the one leading." Khosrow chuckled and patted his shoulder in a mildly patronising manner.

"Come now old one, stop letting the bias of your friendship override your thinking. You can see that Lightning is a natural leader, and that they are all working well together. Look at their formation! Their fluidity! Their brutality! It's a thrill to watch. They are both beautiful and deadly women, Lucyn. I think I might have fallen a little bit in love with them both today."

The dark-haired man made a scoffing sound of distaste and continued to watch them on the field. Lightning took a quick glance behind her to check their positions before turning back with a heavy breath. "This beastie is giving us a right proper workout this morning, isn't he love?" Fang asked, panting as well. Lightning nodded and threw a stream of fire from her hands to keep the monster at bay while she thought, the action causing a cry of surprise to leap from Khosrow's mouth behind them. "Thoughts, gorgeous?" The brunette queried further, knowing the meaning the smile enveloping her partner's face.

"Army of Highwind?" Lightning suggested with a twitch of her eyebrow, Fang's face lighting up in glee.

"Oh, darlin'. You certainly know how to get me all worked up, don't you?" Lightning rolled her eyes and shot forward, seemingly appearing from every which way as she cut deep into the hide of the beast with all her strength. Fang poised herself, ready to launch at Lightning's command.

"Now, Fang!" She yelled out, appearing in front of the brunette. Using her momentum, Lightning grabbed Fang's hand and helped to launch her high into the air. The beast would not see its end, Fang smashing down with all her might and piercing the monster at the base of its skull with her lance. With one long, droning groan it dropped to the earth and exhaled its final breath.

Khosrow broke out in applause and loud cheering, jogging over to the women as they caught their breath. "Gods, that was amazing. Truly, something that should have been filmed and played in an amphitheatre for all to witness such glory."

"Aw Khosrow, that was nothin'. You should come back to Gran Pulse and come watch us work over a Long Gui." Fang replied with a lop-sided grin.

A gasp escaped Khosrow's throat, and her gaze shifted, caught somewhere between excitement and lust. "Oh, to take on one of the legendary war beasts of old... now that would certainly be a way to woo this old woman. Does she always show you such a good time, Lightning?"

The pinkette chuckled and trailed her nails along Fang's exposed skin underneath her sari. "She certainly does know how to keep my blood running hot." Lightning responded with a sultry grin. Khosrow laughed uproariously and slapped Lucyn on the back as he approached.

"See? This is what it means to remove that spear from your arse, old one. This snake is a playful one, when she is comfortable. Perhaps you should take a lesson or three from her."

"Perhaps I shall," Lucyn replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "A most impressive display, from all of you. It warmed my heart to see a true hunter of the lands at work, and able to move with such coordination is impressive."

"Yeah well, I had a lot to-"

" _-learn about teamwork, Fang. For Etro's sake!" Lightning snapped, healing the wound on her arm with a cura. As the pale skin knitted back together, she stalked over to Fang and knelt down, grabbing her jaw tightly. "We both got hurt because you rushed in, and we had to clean up your mess. We need to stick together, and if you can't reign in your temper I can't have you on the front line with me."_

_Fang glared and bared her teeth, thoroughly sick of this arrogant attitude coming from this Cocoonian. "You wanna talk to me about being hot-headed? You serious? After that bullshit in Palumpolum and you smacking the shit out of my face for having the audacity to wake up in the wrong place, in the wrong century?"_

_Whatever response Fang was expecting, the reality wasn't close. "I'm sorry." Lightning said quietly, her shoulders slumping with the weight of their focus. She sat down next to Fang and healed her wounds in silence. Her next words came even quieter, and with a subtle gaze over Fang's body. "Please, can we work on sticking together?" Lightning asked, placing a hand on Fang's arm, trailing her fingers along the tattoo. "You and I we... We work better as a team. I don't want to see you hurt."_

_The sudden shift, Fang realised, came when the others were out earshot. She shivered at the pink-haired woman's touch, a little unnerved at the softness coming from her gaze. "Alright, we'll work on it. The gods know I wouldn't want to leave you alone against the men in this little party, and Vanille would drive you mad in an instant."_

"Fang? Fang?" Vanille's voice dragged her from her memories. Fang shook the fog off and gave her a quick hug.

"Sorry, 'Nille. Went off in the ethers again I see." Fang replied with a cautious smile. She was thankful that the overwhelming memories submerged her in the past less and less these days, but still rattled her nonetheless.

She felt Lightning's fingertips trail over the back of her neck in a soothing motion and hummed in contentment. "You back?" Lightning whispered, and Fang nodded.

"Yeah, wasn't a bad one, not really."

Lightning gave her a knowing smile and leant in to kiss her temple. "When we were arguing about teamwork?"

"How did you..."

"It reminded me of the same thing."

"Ah."

Khosrow gave a shrill whistle that beckoned the chocobos over and smiled at their obedient approach. Lightning looked over at Lucyn and gave him a friendly smile. His eyes darted away at her attention and she shook her head, tapping Fang on the waist.

"He's probably dying to get in on a bit of glory as well, Fang. Why don't you two go off for a hunt?" She offered gently, hoping it would give her a little less animosity thrown in her direction. Lucyn stiffened at the calling of his name and strode over to the small group, sighing heavily.

"Still acting like a child, as always I see."

Fang grinned broadly and took him into a headlock, ruffling his hair. "Just 'cos you're now technically older than me doesn't mean you get to make the rules Luc." She chided, letting him go with a gesture of her arm. "Come on ya lug, show me how your years of experience you've got over me made you a better hunter. Or am I going to still hand you your arse?" Lucyn's gaze finally turned playful and he broke out into a run, pulling out his blade and heading towards the trees.

"See if you can catch me first, Yun!"

Lightning watched them go with a smile and nudged Vanille. "Go on, I know you want to go too." She pushed the redhead gently and watched her skip off into the trees with a giggle. Khosrow gave her a hug around the shoulders and led her towards a nearby tree.

"You've got a good eye for family, Lightning. Even the perpetual thorns like Lucyn." The General mused as she sat down in the shade and leant up against the trunk. She patted the grass beside her and Lightning followed suit, staring out across the field. "Tell me, Lightning Farron, was this place everything you thought it would be?"

There was no answer at first, Lightning content to listen to the breeze. "I didn't know what to expect," she finally replied, keeping her gaze in the direction she'd seen the others head off in. "We had prepared for many different outcomes. That there would be nothing here but ruins, that there was a thriving civilisation preparing for war, that there was a thriving civilisation prepared to pave the way for peace. Too many unknown factors so... We prepared for every outcome."

Khosrow hummed in agreement, nodding along in thought. "Keep that fact to yourself during any negotiations, as a word of advice. The idiot diplomats and politicians don't understand what it means to be prepared. I would have ordered the same, if the situations were reversed, so I don't fault you for merely wanting to preserve the peace you've gone through hell and back to gain." She sighed and brushed a wayward strand of hair from her face, looking over the soldier that sat next to her. "Gods above and below, you really do remind me of my daughter. Perhaps my bias is blinding me after all."

Lightning reached over and gave the General's shoulder a squeeze and smiled gently. "Or maybe you're just able to look past where I've come from and know how to look beyond a person's lineage. I'm not interested in repeating the mistakes of my ancestors either."

"You hold much wisdom for someone stop so young. Do you have other family, beyond Fang and Vanille?"

"A sister. Our parents passed when we were young so it's just been the two of us, at least until her now husband came along." Lightning answered with a slight curl of her lips. Khosrow laughed and nudged her with her shoulder.

"Do I detect a bit of hostility towards your sister's joining with her partner?"

Lightning sighed and shook her head. "No, just... Remnants of my stubborn refusal to let Serah grow up."

Khosrow hummed again, looking over the fields. "Aye. It is a difficult thing, to let go of the past, especially when you feel like you have no one left. I think… That is Lucyn's problem and why he is so… antagonistic."

"So I'm getting my cosmic justice for being so hard on Serah's husband, I suppose."

"No, not just you," The General continued, shifting around until she was more comfortable where they sat. "He wants to bring back the glory of the past, but he was very young when he was taken. From what Vanille told me when we spoke, he had yet to be involved in the war, and it was mostly Fang that was exposed to the fighting. I fear his view of the past is tainted, and he riles up the other more suspicious council members with his bitterness of your appearance."

A distant horn blared back in the direction of the city and Khosrow stood immediately. " _Bahjenoi,_  I do not need this right now…" She hissed, sticking her fingers in her mouth and letting off three short bursts of whistling. The chocobos came racing over and the General immediately mounted one, giving a whistled order for the other birds to go collect their humans.

"What is it?" Lightning asked, growing trepidation in her stomach. She released a breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding when Fang and the others emerged from the forest on their respective mounts. Khosrow kicked her heels into the bird and took off at a sprinting pace, the others only able to follow suit.

"Fal'Cie sighting beyond the island. The city goes into lockdown whenever they're close to be safe. We'll need to take a secure passage back as the city will be offline by the time we get back. See? Vanille ain't the only one with a good projector." She explained, pointing back towards the city skyline. Lightning stifled a gasp when she realised the entire city had vanished. They rode quickly and silently through the lands until they reached a cavern hidden amongst vines. With a swipe of her hand Khosrow unlocked a door embedded in the stone, and allowed the others to enter.

Jano was waiting for them when they entered the city from the sub levels, briskly walking up to Khosrow and speaking with her in hushed tones. The General turned to regard Fang and beckoned her over. "Yun, with me. We need to you come with us to look at this big fella that's been seen off the coast. The council needs to know it wasn't you who has drawn it here."

Fang looked back at Lightning with an uncertain gaze and only received a warm smile in response. "Go on, I'll head back to the room. Come find me when you're done? Vanille, go with her, they might need your expertise."

Lucyn bowed and gave an easy grin to his friends. "I will escort Lightning back to the barracks, to ensure there are no further attempts on her life."

"Thanks, Luc. Keep her out of trouble will ya?" Fang replied, allowing herself to be led off down the hall. Leaving Lucyn and Lightning alone, they walked in silence down the hallways towards the sleeping quarters. It was some time before the Pulsian glanced over and ducked his head.

"Lightning I… Would like to apologise, if I overstepped earlier, discussing the joining rituals. It is not my place to discern the status of your relationship. I… Care for Fang, she is family and I only want what is best for her, to uphold the strong Yun traditions, of which she is the last pure line left."

The words sunk in and once again she found herself thinking about the rite of joining. To commit fully to Fang, to honour her clan and customs. Could she see herself doing that? It didn't take long to search her heart for the answer. "Lucyn, what exactly does the joining rite entail?"

There was a smile that crossed his face that almost looked like triumph before he turned away with a hum. "Well, you have to be accepted by the clan, for one thing. Dependant on the clan itself would be the outcome of the Trials. For the Dia, it is gathering the rarest of herbs. The Rayn clan, knowledge. For the Yun…"

"Let me guess, hunting?" Lightning quipped with an arch of her eyebrow. Lucyn nodded with a grin.

"Of course. The Yun clan were often leaders and great warriors. It stood to reason that anyone wanting to join with a Yun would need to show that they were strong enough to shoulder the weight of joining with someone that would very likely see battle."

Lightning nodded, taking in the information. "So what would I have to hunt? Exactly?" They reached the door to their quarters and Lucyn opened the door for her.

"Usually? Something big. Not so big that you cannot handle alone. But the Trial is a test of how much you're willing to bear. Depends on how much you love her, I suppose. I… I just want to see her happy, Lightning."

The pinkette hummed, walking into the room and checking all the various spots, cupboards, under the bed and balcony before finally relaxing. "What's the best mark this island's got to offer?" She asked, folding her arms and leaning against the wall.

"Now we're talking!" Lucyn said, leaping over the back of the lounge and sitting down. "There is a beast to the west of the island, it harasses the farming settlements out that way. But… Hm. The council is due to give their answer by sundown. Which means you'll be leaving tomorrow."

An audible sigh escaped Lightning's mouth, not quite ready to leave. "But the city is in lockdown, how can I… Damn."

Lucyn narrowed his eyes, scratching his chin. "I may know a way out of the city. I can give you the access codes to slip in and out. You'll have the mark done and dusted before the sun sets, and back here to win her hand. Fang deserves the best, Lightning. And I certainly hope for her sake that you are the best."

With a scrape of her boots she pushed herself off the wall with a deadly smile. "I am. Let's go."

* * *

 

Fang staggered back to the room, beyond exhausted after arguing for half the afternoon over whether or not she called the Fal'Cie to their shores. Khosrow walked with her and Vanille, wanting to check on Lightning to make sure she was alright. Fang pushed the door open and stepped inside the room with a yawn. "Hey Light, I think I'm about ready for you to absolutely go to town on my shoulders, how about a mass… Light?"

"Where is she?" Vanille asked, looking around the empty room. Khosrow frowned and gripped at the hilt of her blade. Fang felt uneasy and tried to crush the rising panic. The General motioned for them to follow her down the hall and she roared as she kicked Lucyn's door in. The Pulsian leapt up, startled by the sudden intrusion.

"Can I help you?" He said, feigning calm in his voice. Khosrow glared at him and started wrapping her hand around the handle of her sword.

"Where is Lightning?" She asked, Fang looking between her and her friend with rapidly growing concern. He stared at the General, refusing to speak. "Lucyn, what did you do?" Khosrow asked, stalking forward and getting in his face. He refused to be intimidated and pushed her back.

"I didn't do anything other than introduce your new Cocoonian  _friend_  to the traditions of old. She wanted to prove that she was worthy of respect, worthy of Fang's hand, so I sent her on the Hunter's Trials."

Fang growled, the last of her patience vanishing and shoved him up against the table. "What. Did. You do." He turned and shoved back, seething in his bitterness and rage.

"What I should have done the moment I laid eyes on the manipulative snake. Don't you see how she's turned you against your own kin? You put the people of Cocoon before your own! She wanted to throw herself willingly into the abyss to prove that she was strong enough to be with the great huntress of Gran Pulse, so I provided it. I told her to go and hunt and destroy  _Nam'taar_."

The colour drained from Fang's face as she stepped back and leant against the wall to keep herself upright. To anyone not familiar with the language, it would have been a passing label for a mark, not unlike when they hunted across the steppe with the Cie'th stones. But the name held a specific connotation in the old tongue that made her blood freeze in her veins.

With a solid crack of bone that reverberated through the room, Lucyn fell to the floor from a swift hook to the jaw from the raging brunette. "Are you insane? You've sent her after a fucking Fal'Cie?  _Nam'taar_ , The Death Herald? What the fuck is wrong with you? What the hell are you trying to prove?"

"That these venomous snakes do not belong on this world! Fang, see reason. They're vipers, from Cocoon. We are your  _people_."

" _And she is my home_!" Fang snapped in angry retaliation. Her hands shook with rage and this time she let the emotions roil through her. She'd need them if she was going to save Lightning. "You once begged me before you were ripped from the river by the Cocoon's Fal'Cie, to never lose my heart. Well she is my heart. I never thought I'd find it again, but I did, in her. And if she is taken from me, there will be nowhere on this wide planet for you to hide. No god that will listen to your prayers for a quick death."

The Oerban stalked to the balcony doors and ripped them open, leaping up onto the railing. Lucyn tried to follow her but stopped in his tracks when he saw her body creak and lengthen, her fingers becoming claws and her the whites of her eyes consuming her irises. "Fang… Wait!"

The world-ending beast stood in her place, sari shredded around her. She turned to give him one final glance before crouching down on her haunches.

"Find your own road to hell, Lucyn." The tone of her words threatening and guttural in the throat of the beast. She leapt from the balcony and took off through the dark streets, chasing Lightning's scent to the lands outside the city.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so HOPEFULLY I didn't leave you hanging for too long. Between bus trips, calls and lunch breaks I managed to get this written, so LET'S GET IT DONE I'M GONNA GO HOLD MY BREATH NOW.

Lightning crept through the forest ruins, looking for any sign of this  _Nam'taar_  she was told about. Aside from a golden ring around its head, green body and a white face, Lucyn gave no other details, simply shrugging and stating that she'd know it when she saw it. She desperately wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt for Fang's sake, but the cynical side of her simply laughed and told her not to be so naive. Lightning was being led into a trap, and she knew it.

A derisive laugh at her own expense cut through the silence of the environment as she thought about how in the end, she and Fang were perfect together because they were just as damn stubborn as each other. Was it arrogance to want to hunt this mark to rub it in his smug face? Or to come back with the head of the beast to spite him, so she could well and truly prove that there was nobody better suited to Fang than herself? With a slow sigh, she cut vines from her path and manoeuvred around broken stone statues to find a cavern that seemed to swallow all light itself with its ominous jagged stone maw.

"Why do I continuously put myself in these situations?" Lightning muttered aloud to herself. She laughed and rolled her eyes at her own question. "Because you're an idiot in love, that's why. Idiot."

She set her blade alight with a flamestrike and stepped into the mouth of the cave. The flickering fire gave movement to every shadow as she moved deeper down into the surface. Lightning shivered at how cold it was through the dark tunnel, the dampness not helping improve her mood any. After a ways, she turned a bend and suddenly was blinded by the sheer amount of light pouring into her vision.

Lowering her hand slowly, Lightning gasped and extinguished her blade. She had stumbled upon a temple in a natural amphitheater that reminded her of the springs back at Sulyya. "Amazing…" She whispered to herself. Deep green moss covered the ruins, merging man with nature in an ethereal way. The sunlight dripped through from a large opening high above, giving enough warmth to stop the pinkette from feeling like she was trekking through a damp freezer.

She crouched down and washed her hands in a nearby stream and chanced a drink. The water was clear, fresh and cool and it helped soothe some of her frayed nerves. Lightning knelt on the ground to steady herself and took a deep breath, listening to the wilderness around her. As she stilled her movements and extended her senses like Fang had been teaching her, she could hear the most subtle of creaks and groans coming from near the temple. Birds nesting in the ominous statue at the front of the temple scattered at the sound, and Lightning looked up at the huge monument in awe.

Its size was utterly massive, around the same mass as the Palamecia. The statue dwarfed the temple itself and Lightning figured that was a good a place as any to start her hunting. She stood and dusted the dirt from her knees and made her way cautiously towards the temple ruins, blade still drawn. Wondering whether this was an old Pulsian structure or possible from some civilization that came before, Lightning filed the thought away to ask Khosrow later, if the General even knew this place existed.

A low drone rung out through the amphitheater, causing her to halt in her steps at the foot of the statue. Lightning marveled at the sculpting, the sheer size of the monolith likely taking years, if not decades to finish. She wondered if it was a homage to an old god, or just some old decadent artwork from a culture possibly lost to the ages. It had a very human, white marble face and a deep green body that reminded her of a behemoth. With an impressive wingspan carved from stone and metal that ran either side of its face, there was an eerie gold ring that looked like an enormous crown that circled the entire head. It reminded her of the one that once surrounded Orphan.

The memory filled her with creeping dread as she stared at the statue, and gripped the hilt of her blade until her knuckles whitened. Its white marble eyes shifted down to stare at her, and she felt the blood rush from her face. Green body. White face. Golden ring.

"Oh for fuck's sake."

The statue's jaw suddenly dropped in an ear-piercing roar that sent Lightning scrambling back out of the way, clutching at her head. "Nam'taar is a damned Fal'Cie." She surmised with a grimace, immediately calling forth every shield, buff and edge she could think of. This monstrosity was far bigger than anything she'd seen before, and could have practically swallowed Barthandelus in a single bite. Lightning called forth as much fire as she could summon and sent it hurtling forward into the face of the Fal'Cie. Her action only seemed to spur it forward, breaking free from the stone temple and lurching forward with thunderous steps.

"Odin, if you're still about somewhere I could sure use some help round about now…" Lightning muttered as a clawed hand came smashing down on the ground, sending her soaring back into the scrub. There was nothing but a void in her chest where her eidolon's power once resided, giving a resigned curse and standing up on shaky legs. "Guess I'm on my own then."

The amphitheater suddenly was set ablaze with a blinding white light from the Fal'Cie and Lightning let her legs operate on instinct, sprinting out of the way. She threw her namesake at the great monster, fire, water, ice, whatever she could spring forth from her fingertips.

" _I know what you are_."

The voice reverberated in the cavern, through Lightning's head and it caused her legs to fail her, sending her crashing to the dirt. She rolled a few times before coming to a stop, slamming hard against a tree. Staring up at the Fal'Cie and noticing a few chips in its face where she'd managed to at least dent its face, Lightning smiled and gave it a gesture with her sword.

" _You are a Fal'Cie killer._ "

"Damn right I am," She panted, holding onto her ribs and trying to heal them as she struggled to stand. Lightning felt at least two broken, and who knows how much bruising would be there if she removed the garments. "You want to join your friends?" She yelled at the monstrosity.

" _I am the harbinger of death. All Gran Pulse will burn, no matter the lands they choose to call home. You are the only one that will meet your end today._ " It boomed, marble eyes lighting up and preparing to burn her from the earth she knelt on. The pinkette looked up at the sky with a tight throat and a tear escaping her eye.

"Sorry, Fang. Guess I overreached after all."

"Light!"

The pinkette opened her eyes just in time to see Ragnarok land in front of her, shielding her from the Fal'Cie's fire. Fang grabbed Lightning in her arms and leapt high out of the amphitheater, away from Nam'taar's outstretched claws. It roared in rage and began to climb out after them.

The beast landed and knelt once they were out of immediate danger. She delicately took Lightning's face in her clawed hands. "You... Ok?" Fang asked. Lightning nodded and groaned at the injury to her side.

"Your friend sucks, Fang.  _Sucks_." She clipped, gripping her sword and staring the roaring Fal'Cie down as it emerged from the hole in the top of the mountain they found themselves on. Fang bowed her maned head and gave a sad whine in her throat.

"We need… To leave." Ragnarok said pointedly and made a move to escape. She was halted by the hand on her face, guiding it back to meet a fierce cerulean gaze.

"No. We're staying, and we're finishing this. This Fal'Cie threatens Cal'Mah as much as Orphan threatened Cocoon, regardless of whether that asshole Lucyn landed me in a death trap. We are Fal'Cie killers, so let's kill this damn Fal'Cie so we can go the hell home." Lightning growled defiantly while Fang looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

Nam'taar bellowed in anger and towered over the landscape. "Any ideas… For something that… Big?" Ragnarok uttered in broken speech, taking a few cautious steps back and pulling at Lightning to get her to follow. An explosion suddenly slammed into the marble and metal face, sending it careening backwards. Lightning turned and saw their warship coming into view, firing repeatedly at the Fal'Cie.

"Does the Calvary help?" She quipped with a grin, bringing her hands around and shunting them forward, a massive flare erupting from her palms. Fang rolled her white irises and shook her head.

"In love… With a mad woman…" She sighed, launching into the air with a savage howl. Lightning stood and healed her ribs, flinching as a strong hand landed on her shoulder. She knew who it was before turning and sighed with relief. Khosrow moved into her view, blade drawn and at the ready, staring up at Fang who was laying into the face of the enormous Fal'Cie with ferocity.

"When I asked if Fang knew how to show a woman a good time, you know I was joking, right? If this is a normal day for the two of you no wonder you're both as stubborn as the gates of Valhalla. I mean this with all the branches extended of friendship and peace but if this really is a normal day for you both, get the hell off my island." The General muttered, causing Lightning to laugh despite the situation they found themselves in. The pinkette gave her a feral grin and nodded her head towards Nam'taar.

"Tell you what, Khosrow. We destroy this bastard, your descendants will still be talking about you in another five hundred years."

Khosrow positively beamed and rushed forward alongside Lightning. "Aye, but only if I get a fancy statue like your betrothed."

"We're not getting married Khosrow," Lightning replied with a scowl. They both leapt out of the way of a beam of fire spewing from the Fal'Cie's eyes and landed hard in the dirt. Khosrow gave a shrill battle yell and dove into the fray, hacking and slashing at Nam'taar's fingers like they were merely vines in the way of her destination. She glanced back at Lightning with a savage grin and winked.

"Yet, mad snake. Yet. Lucyn wasn't lying about the Hunter's Trials prior to asking the hand of the Yun! You're not getting married as you say, but if you manage to fell this beast you all but will be! I think I'm going to call you mad snake from now on!"

The warship continued to take potshots at the Fal'Cie, driving it back into the amphitheatre. While Fang dug her claws in where she could, Khosrow moved her blade with deadly accuracy and Lightning threw every element she could at it before she was spent. It fell back into the chasm, crashing into the temple with a force that made the land shake. They stared down into the hole to find they'd barely made a dent, Nam'taar rising again with a beam of fire lancing into the sky.

"For the love of Etro, this is ridiculous." Khosrow complained, wiping sweat from her brow. "This thing could crush Cal'Mah in a matter of steps. How do we ever hope to destroy something this big?"

Lightning stared at Fang as she healed the cuts on the beastial form. When white irises met cerulean she knew what would stop the Fal'Cie. She smiled softly and turned back to the General. "Simple. We get bigger."

Fang's head tilted in confusion before her eyes widened. "No. Light. Dangerous."

"Not like we have a choice, Fang. I trust you. Trust me too." They stood close and Fang gently took her hands, reminding both of when they were falling away from each other in Eden. "Khosrow, you might want to stand back." Lightning warned, the General narrowing her eyes but heeding the order.

"Ready?" Fang asked, looking into Lightning's eyes with nothing but love. The pinkette nodded and leant in, kissing Fang gently.

"This time we go together. And we  _both_  go home after."

A bright light enveloped them, pulsing out from their hands. Lightning felt strange, like she was floating, soaring higher into the air as she held onto Fang. A presence brushed her awareness, and she tried to look around but saw only white.

" _It's ok Light, I'm here. Takes a bit to get used to._ " Fang's voice entered her mind, warm and comforting. " _The first time I did this, Vanille hid. I wasn't able to find her. I couldn't complete the focus without her. I'm glad she did._ "

" _Me too."_  Lightning chuckled, reaching out and feeling familiar skin. Fang stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the pinkette, hearing the contented murmur against her chest.

" _Come on, I think we've got a job to finish, yeah?_ "

From the plains beyond their awareness, Khosrow fell backwards onto the ground at the sheer size of the true form of Ragnarok. The real World Ender from their legends. She could have laughed when she saw Nam'taar emerge from the amphitheatre again, a look of shock on its marble face.

Earthquakes shook the ground as Ragnarok leapt from the earth and slammed into the Fal'Cie with a brutal roar. It gripped onto Nam'taar's face with its many clawed hands and with a savage pull, removed the stone face from its body, leaving the internal mechanisms exposed. Somewhere between monster and machine, Nam'taar struggled with newfound fear that it had never experienced in all the millennia it had stalked the world.

Despite the chaos unfolding outside, Lightning wasn't entirely aware of it. She just floated while Fang took hold of her and directed Ragnarok where it needed to go. A loving smile crossed her face and she ran her hand gently down the side of the Pulsian's face. Fang finally came into view, looking radiant and beautiful, and Lightning couldn't wipe the smile from her features.

" _Goddess… Why do I feel so…"_ Lightning couldn't find the words to describe what she felt. She could only float peacefully, hoping that whatever was going on outside her immediate awareness wasn't anything life threatening.

Fang's chuckling brought her lazily back to awareness. " _Part of Ragnarok's power comes from the rage. Anger. Pain. Sorrow. Despair. All the things you're just as good at like I am._ "

" _Not anymore, Fang._   _I don't feel like that when I'm with you._ " Lightning replied softly, drawing Fang down into a passionate kiss. They held each other and floated in the white nothingness, just content on exploring each other's bodies while a battle raged outside of them.

" _Well you certainly won't feel it here. Ragnarok takes it all and uses it as it needs to. Which just leaves us. Here and now. Together._ "

Lightning decided she liked the feeling, once all the negative emotions had been drained from her that had constantly nipped at her heels. Happiness. That's what it was. True happiness and contentment, safety and love. The things she never thought she'd be given the opportunity to feel, and she was getting to have it all, with a woman she'd unwittingly given her heart to. The freedom that came from letting go of the pain, of the past, and holding onto the future.

" _I love you, Fang._ "

" _I love you too, Light._ "

Ragnarok roared in triumph as it stood over the body of the Fal'Cie, torn to pieces. It glanced around and saw the distant mountains on the island, and with a flying leap headed off towards the forest. Khosrow stood in shock as she surveyed the corpse of Nam'taar with an awed expression. The fight had been quick, brutal and beyond ferocious. The Death Herald never stood a chance against the World Ender.

The warship landed nearby and Vanille came running out of one of the exits. She grabbed the General and started checking her for signs of serious injuries. Khosrow frowned and batted the young girl away with an annoyed sound. "There is time for coddling later, Dia. We need to follow Ragnarok, make sure Fang and Lightning are alright." She chided the redhead. Vanille nodded and started dragging the Pulsian leader back towards the ship.

Khosrow took a moment as she made the first steps onto the vessel, and looked around it in amazement. While it was littered with what was obviously Cocoon technology, they had painstakingly restored any of the Pulsian design, traditional prayers and culture of her people. She breathed slowly as she was led to the bridge and touched Vanille's shoulder gently. "You all really do believe in reuniting the people and preserving Gran Pulse, don't you?" She asked, hopeful in her tone.

Vanille simply nodded and opened the door to the bridge. She waved at everyone and headed straight for the nearest console, leaving Khosrow standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"Hello, I'm Sazh Katzroy, the ship's captain. Honoured to meet you, Cal'Mah Zan Khosrow." He said, bowing and greeting her warmly. The General nodded and folded her arms, looking out at the lands beyond from the huge window. They set off, not having to travel very far or search very hard. There was a path of destruction where the enormous size of Ragnarok had plowed through the forest, but thankfully far from civilisation. The trail began to shrink, presumably from the two women returning to normal size. The three of them exited the ship when it hovered at the edge of the forest clearing, and ran along the large trail, hoping to find their friends alright.

Sazh yelped and averted his gaze immediately when they stumbled upon a small glade to find Lightning and Fang unconscious, naked and limbs entwined. Vanille giggled and Khosrow elbowed her in the ribs. "Not a bad way to wind up after saving an entire population, hey Dia?" The General quipped, leaning up against a tree while the redhead ran off with Sazh to get them spare clothes.

Lightning's eyes fluttered open and she stared up at Fang from her spot, nestled against the Pulsian's chest. "Hi," she whispered quietly, and Fang glanced down slowly with a smile.

"Hi yourself," she replied, leaning down and kissing the pinkette leisurely. "Nice way to wake up, thought I'd prefer a bed."

"That can be arranged if you two would stop being so damn lazy!" Khosrow called out from her place by the tree, startling both women who scrambled for dignity. The General laughed and waved dismissively. "Oh please. We all have the same parts, surprisingly. I expected some scales at least, mad snake."

Lightning hissed at her, partially in jest and buried herself further against Fang's chest, hiding in the crook of her neck. Vanille returned alone with a change of clothes for the women and they quickly got changed to restore some of their decency. Khosrow gave them an appreciative once over and nodded back in the direction of the ship.

"Come on you two, while this vessel of yours turned the tide in the battle for our victory, it did show up unannounced. We will need to head back to the city before someone declares war."

"If they haven't already…" Lightning muttered, annoyed that it was just one thing after another. Her frustration evaporated in an instant when she felt Fang's arm slide around her waist and pull her in close. It was strange, since merging with her and becoming the full form of Ragnarok she felt… Lighter. It was a foreign feeling that left her constantly smiling. There was something she couldn't place but it filled her with joy nonetheless.

Slipping her hand into Fang's, she leant close and nuzzled against the tattooed shoulder as they made their way back to the ship. "You going to be ok?" She felt the arm she leant on immediately tense, but it was a necessary line of questioning.

"Khosrow," Fang called out, her lips thin in distaste. "What's to be done with Lucyn?" She asked, desperate for the answer and dreading it all the same. The General stiffened at the man's name and growled.

"He sent Lightning into danger and awakened one of the most dangerous Fal'Cie Cal'Mah has ever known to walk these lands. You may have saved us in the long run by destroying Nam'taar, but the fact remains that he didn't just put you at risk, but the entire city. That Fal'Cie would wake up every couple of hundred years, destroy a good chunk of the city before he ran out of energy and then go back to sleep for a century or so." She paused and took a breath, turning to place an apologetic hand on Fang's shoulder. "I know he is your friend, Fang."

" _Was_ ," the brunette corrected. "Nobody that puts my  _telmari_  at risk is someone I'm willing to call friend." It hurt her to voice her pain, but it hurt her more that someone she considered her family would even think to have done something so malicious.

"He will be  _dealt with_." Khosrow replied tersely.

They all remained silent as they travelled back to the city in one of the smaller craft that was on the deck, Fang surveying the lands from the window. There was barely any wildlife visible along the plains, save for one shambling Cie'th. Khosrow noticed it as well and shrugged.

"Eh, we get them from time to time if someone has not heeded the shutdown warnings and gotten caught. I'll send out a party to put it out of its misery when we get back."

The ship was surrounded by guards and delegates alike when it landed, and Khosrow steeled her shoulders, preparing herself for the onslaught of diplomatic frustrations as soon as the door slid open. She expected a cluster of noise but instead received only silence. To her surprise, as soon as Lightning and Fang joined her on the walkway, everyone in the surrounds kneeled.

"What's the meaning of this bluster?" Khosrow demanded as Jano made his way through the crowd and bowed with a solemn look on his face. When he straightened, there was the barest hint of a wry smile on his face.

"The argument in the chamber ended the moment Nam'taar was destroyed by you and the travelers. It would appear that all it took to earn their trust was to kill the most deadly Fal'Cie in our modern history."

"They don't set the bar too high now, do they?" Khosrow shook her head in disbelief and then scanned the crowd as they all slowly stood. "Where is Lucyn? He is to be brought to the council chambers  _immediately._ " She clipped, cold in tone. Jano's expression fell and he motioned for them to follow. The trio followed him to the halls inside, away from all the prying eyes and eavesdropping ears. He pulled a piece of parchment from his robes. He bowed again and handed it to Fang.

"Lucyn requested that I give this to you, in the wake of his… Departure."

The others stared in disbelief as Fang took the papers with shaky hands. In the envelope had an old photo of herself, Vanille and Lucyn playing around by the river when they were children. She felt the lump rising in her throat as she opened the letter and began to read it.

_Fang,_

_I don't believe you will ever forgive me for what I have done. I don't expect forgiveness for my sins. Etro saved me that day I was torn from the lands, gave me a new focus. I awoke from crystal twenty years ago for the sole purpose of serving as the bridge between our worlds, as you have for the other side. That was my task, but I couldn't let go of the past and let my bitterness overwhelm me. I am a coward. I have failed in my duty to my people and my friendship that should have been as strong as the throne of Valhalla itself. I once begged you not to lose your heart, and now I am responsible for taking it from you._

_I don't have long before the brand consumes me for my refusal to complete my focus. I am, as you say, finding my own road to hell. But I am sorry, for everything._

_Lucyn_

"He… He was still branded?" Fang asked aloud, tears stinging at her eyes. She turned her gaze towards the exit, out to the fields beyond. Khosrow took the letter carefully from her hands and read over it before matching the brunette's line of sight. Lightning leant in and read over her shoulder and gasped.

"Gods, that Cei'th we saw on the way back…"

They all fell silent, conflicted. Justice was served on one hand, but still. A lot of history vanished into the body of a ghoul. Khosrow reached up and touched Fang's shoulder gently, bringing her gaze back. "Fang, what do you…"

"What you'd already planned to do with it in the first place." Fang replied with a sense of finality. She couldn't keep looking back to the past all the time. "Lucyn made his choice for what was, I am making a choice for what will be. For all of us."

Khosrow nodded solemnly and signalled for Jano. "What say the rest of those blithering drapes?" She asked dryly, impatient to finish the day and go get a drink. He merely gestured to the doors and smiled.

"All things that can be celebrated over a fine meal and a good ale." He answered, Khosrow laughing loudly to break the spell of melancholy that had befallen the room. She led them all towards the banquet halls with a hearty smile.

"Alas, Jano. I fear my habits are becoming far too known for you to be so astute for my parched nature."

After far too much food and too many good times to tell, Fang and Lightning collapsed, exhausted and if they were both being honest, ready to go home. Thankfully, by the next morning the caucus was far more amiable to discussions and with a choking hold, Khosrow bid her new friends goodbye with threats of a visit to uphold their promise to take her hunting for a Long Gui.

* * *

After destroying Nam'taar, the people of Cal'Mah were able to finally swallow their stubbornness about the past and actively work on opening pathways of trust It was hard to argue the point when the so-called Viper spearheaded the ending . They established communication and trade routes quickly, shared technology and knowledge, and for once, the lands between the vipers of Cocoon and the demons of Pulse knew peace.

A month or so after their return home, Khosrow, in her ever-present habit of enjoying keeping others on their toes, showed up in New Bodhum and knocked on the Farron and Yun household door in the early hours of the morning. When Lightning answered the door in an oversized nightshirt and not a lot else, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, the last thing she expected was to be lifted off the ground and slung over the shoulder of the visiting General. It took a few seconds of disorientated struggling before she even realised who it was.

"You're an asshole, you know that?" Lightning complained as she was finally dumped unceremoniously on their couch, feeling nauseous. Fang yawned and stretched as she entered the living room to find out what all the commotion was about, only to have Khosrow leap over and stuff a piece of fruit in the open mouth. Fang didn't even flinch, just slowly began to chew the fruit with a muffled thanks, much to the General's delight.

"So when were you going to tell us that you were making the visit?" Lightning asked, feeling mildly exposed in her nightwear. Khosrow arched an eyebrow and stared at her incredulously.

"I've been here with Jano and a handful of delegates for a week and a half. We had been trying to get in touch with you but you weren't answering your communicator. I told the boy, Hope was it? Yes. Hope. I told him to just give me directions to your home and I would get your attention myself."

Lightning looked over at the flashing comms device and winced. She'd been fuzzy since getting back from Cal'Mah, forgetting things frequently and it would seem, not answering her phone. "Sorry. Been slipping my mind to be social lately."

The two women hurriedly got dressed and they took Khosrow down to the Lebreau's hangout for breakfast. They met Sazh and his son there, and then with a quick phone call Serah and Snow came down with Vanille. Khosrow embraced the younger Farron with strong arms. "Ah, it is wonderful to meet you, little snake. Your sister speaks highly of you!"

Serah looked bewildered, eyeing off the tall Pulsian woman with a wary expression. "Little… Snake…?" She repeated, turning her gaze to Lightning. Her sister shrugged and rolled her eyes.

"Just run with it."

Serah hadn't had a chance to leave the ship during the visit, and the General dragged her off to a corner to speak conspiratorially, Lightning surmised that Khosrow was likely getting all the dirt to annoy her with later. She felt a little dizzy so sat down in the corner, watching her friends and family with a contented smile. Fang saw her discomfort and joined her, slipping an arm around Lightning's shoulder and the other across her waist, absently trailing her fingers along the pinkette's stomach.

"You alright, Light? You've been a bit off kilter lately." Fang asked quietly, keeping her voice low to not draw attention to themselves. Lightning pushed her hand against her ribs with a grimace, swallowing down the uneasy feeling in her stomach. She had been fighting off a flu for a few weeks since the battle, which annoyed her endlessly. She never got sick, and according to Serah was the world's worst patient when she did on the rare occasions. Fang, to her credit, had doted on her at every opportunity, and tolerated all of Lightning's complaints.

Khosrow let Serah go and nodded towards the elder Farron. "What's the problem, mad snake? You look like you swallowed bad meat." She called across the room, the others growing silent.

Lightning gave a slight bow. "Sorry, Khosrow. Haven't been well since the battle. I guess merging with Fang to become Ragnarok takes it out of a person, huh?"

The tall blonde woman tilted her head with narrowed eyes and stalked over, uncomfortably close. Lightning tried to edge back away, especially when Khosrow leant down and began to sniff at her neck. The General's eyes widened and she stood quickly with a sharp inhale. She looked between the two and then eyed Fang suspiciously.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Yun? Some clan secret I'm not aware of?"

Fang only looked confused and scratched the back of her neck. "Uh, not unless you count old family recipes for a stew made from gorgonopsids, why?"

Khosrow looked concerned, her eyes darting between the two. "Gods, you don't know. The mad snake isn't sick. She's pregnant."

" _What._ " Lightning and Fang had both snapped in unison, the shock and horror evident on their faces. The silence in the room was intense as everyone in the room held their breath.

Vanille whistled low and shook her head. "Guess merging into Ragnarok puts a little in as well as taking a lot out of you, huh Light?" She joked nervously, feeling significantly relieved that she'd dodged that particular bullet twice now when becoming Ragnarok with Fang.

"Fang?" Lightning said calmly and quietly, the Pulsian wincing at her name and hesitantly turning to look at her partner. "Do me a favour? Start. Running."

Fang had already sprinted from the bar before she had even finished her sentence.

* * *

***End***

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS- Thanks for your support in reading, new one up tomorrow and _As Above So Below_ being finalised by the end of the week! Subscribe to keep in the loop or as always, follow [hoorayimuseful.tumblr.com](http://hoorayimuseful.tumblr.com) for updates and art related to the fics.


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